The Ice Empress (A Bloons Tower Defense 6 Fanfiction)
by michl1
Summary: Amelia Sandoval is an ice monkey that tries to learn how to control her cyrokinesis. However complications ensue, and she finds herself needing them in order to stop an invasion of bloons. Will she keep them under lock and key, or will she accidentally cause another ice age? Let's take a read, and see for ourselves...
1. Prologue

Ice Empress: Prologue

About sixteen years ago, a young monkey couple by the name of Rosalyn Sandoval and Jeremiah Lancaster-Sandoval brought a new life into the world. It was a little girl, and they named her Amelia Sandoval. She was born an ice monkey in an igloo of her parents making. Little did they know that unlike most ice monkeys, she was more powerful than all the others.

As she grew up, she was rowdy, rambunctious, and downright nasty towards people, even her own parents. On occasion, she would show a much kinder side, but it was uncommon. When she did, she was practically an angel. Oddly enough, whenever they went to worship the sun god, never once did she misbehave when she went in. However, on the nights they went to worship, she often cried to herself about her misbehavior, but she was always careful not to let her parents or brother see her sorrow until one night when they were late going to bed. Rosalyn and Jeremiah walked in on her sobbing to herself while Jonah tried to pretend to be sleeping.

"Amelia, what's wrong, my little snowflake?" Jeremiah asked in his british accent.

"I...I don't want to talk about it." Amelia replied in hers, still crying.

"But Amelia, maybe if you tell us, we can help you feel better, sweetheart." Said Rosalyn in her upper class british accent.

"I said shove off! I don't want to talk!"

"Snowflake, I-"

**_"BUGGER OFF, MOTHER!"_**

When Amelia shouted as loudly as she did, Jonah jumped up, and Rosalyn and Jeremiah leaned backward, but they all felt something strange: the room somehow got colder. MUCH colder. Rosalyn looked around to see if the ice that formed their home was melting, but it was as strong as ever. Then she realized it. The burst of cold was coming from Amelia herself. She leaned in and looked at Amelia's eyes. Then she noticed that Amelia was somehow forming an aura around her that was so cold, even her own parents shivered. Jonah noticed and finally got up. When he did, he saw large ice crystals forming around his little sister.

"Um... Amelia, are you okay?" He sheepishly ebbed.

Amelia turned her head to face Jonah.

"No. I'm sorry you have to see me like this. A bad monkey, I am."

Amelia curled up and started to encase herself in ice without her knowledge. She continued crying, just wanting to be away from everything. Jeremiah, however, was NOT interested to see his daughter hide inside an ice cocoon. He broke off what ice formed and pulled her out.

"Snowflake, please. I'm your father. You can tell us if something or someone's bothering you, love." He said, holding her close to him.

"Besides, that's what families do. They forgive and help each other out. You can tell us, and we won't tell anyone else. Please."

Jeremiah's words struck a serious chord to the young ice monkey, causing her to tear up and try to fight back those tears by translating her sadness into rage. She threw a tantrum, jumping out of her father's grasp and screeching wildly. She didn't want to acknowledge that it was okay to be sad, especially in front of her parents. She never liked to feel weak, and expressing such a feeling was something she believed to be a serious sign of weakness. That's why after about two minutes into her feral side, she stopped when she saw her parents running toward her, intending to hug her. When they got a hold of her, they held on tight, and they didn't let go, even when Jonah joined in. Ten seconds was enough for Amelia to stop struggling and accept the hug. Five additional seconds caused her to start crying. Ultimately, she became a crying mess, unable to stop her tears at all. She screeched again, but in sadness. Then she buried her face in Jeremiah's chest, not knowing she was causing the temperature to drop a little further. She was exhibiting powers that she didn't know she had, and therefore, could not control them.

"What's wrong with me?" She asked.

"Why can I do such weird things with... whatever I can do, or something?"

"Because... you're one of us. An ice monkey. We're capable of turning ice into whatever we want. You, however, you're special. You can do so much more. You have an untapped wellspring of raw power, Amelia. One day, when the time comes, you'll know just what to do with it."

"But... will I ever be like the others?"

"Of course you will, snowflake." Said Rosalyn.

"You're a monkey, aren't you?"

"Well...yes."

"Well then, you're already like them. You have the power to become the type of person you want to be. All you have to do is reach into it and use it. Bend it to your will. You understand?"

Amelia became ashamed at herself for behaving so widly.

"Yes. May I go back to bed now, mum?"

"Of course. Good night, my little snowflake."

"Good night."

Jeremiah took Amelia and put her in bed. She turned herself away from the door. As her parents stepped out of the room, they saw a lead bloon that broke in while they weren't looking.

"Jeremiah, clo-"

Rosalyn got smacked by the bloon as it charged into her. Jeremiah came to his wife's aid and almost immediately thereafter became enraged, especially since the bloon was lead. By the time he could get close to it, it was too late. It broke into the room and went after Amelia. Rosalyn snapped out of her dizzied state and ran to her daughter, only to find out that the lead bloon stopped moving.

"Wait. Jeremiah, did-"

"No. I didn't freeze that thing." Jeremiah interrupted.

"And Jonah can't freeze metal, either."

"But that could only mean..."

Then they noticed it. The lead bloon wasn't frozen, and it didn't stop moving; its flight path was simply slowed down to a crawl. And then, the frost struck it so violently, it chipped apart on its own. Then the lead shattered off, revealing two black bloons that were covered with ice. Despite the bloons' attempt to make progress, they simply seemed to be almost immobile. The black layer broke off too, and this continued even with the pink layers, and descended until there was nothing left of the lead bloon. Flabbergasted, Rosalyn and Jeremiah checked on their kids to see if they were okay. Jonah was curled up, trying to keep the bloon from seeing him, but Amelia was exposed on purpose, ready to let out a mocking screech to the bloon. She didn't account for her parents learning that she stopped that lead bloon all by herself, so she was shocked when they came to her.

"Amelia, how'd my little snowflake learn to freeze metal so violently?" Asked Jeremiah.

"That was a bloon? Pity. Thought it was stronger." Amelia said, scowling at the remains of the bloon.

"I hate those miserable little things. I wish I could just destroy them all."

Rosalyn and Jeremiah had never been more proud of Amelia before than they were in that moment. Jeremiah started tearing up a bit, and Rosalyn stood back with a bright smile across her face.

"Daddy, why are you crying? Mum speak to you like a cur or something?"

"No. My snowflake knows how to defend herself. I'm so proud of you." Jeremiah said, hugging her with tears in his eyes and a smile on his face.

"Put me down already! I'm tired, and I want to go to bed!"

Jeremiah obliged.

"Alright. Good night, my little snowflake. Good night."

"Whatever. Please leave."

Rosalyn and Jeremiah left the room and became sure to reinforce the ice that was on their windows, turning it thick and blue and going to their rooms. When they were alone, Jonah asked Amelia something.

"How were you able to freeze those things, Amelia?" He asked.

"Fuck off. They're just bloons. Who cares? Keep the little wankers out of our lives, that's what I say." Amelia spat harshly.

"Why'd you have to say it like that? I mean, I don't like the bloons either, since mum and dad have to go and fight them, they do. But don't you think you're being a little heartless?"

"Jonah, I could never hate you, no matter what, but those things that call themselves bloons are a right mess, and they don't deserve to exist. All I did was make one learn its place. Now, bugger off. I'm tired."

"Okay. Good night, Amelia."

"Good night."

With that moment put to rest, all four ice monkeys did the same. It was needed, too. Finding out about Amelia's immense power that was so tightly wrapped into such a small body was eye-opening, especially since she was only five years old at the time. A good night's sleep was all they needed to relax about the problem.

Three years later, they were in town one day, picking up some groceries for dinner. It was about 2pm, and Amelia and Jonah were next to their father in the frozen department while their mother was getting some fruits and veggies from the produce. Their cart was quite close to full, and some of it was snacks and soda aplenty, at least three cases of the soft drinks! Rosalyn came back, and she was somewhat disappointed at the way the cart looked, being that about twenty percent of its capacity was taken up by junk food.

"Jonah, Amelia, I thought I told you no snacks this time." She scolded.

"But, mum, we're hungry!" Pleaded Jonah.

"I know. That's why I got you... these!"

Jonah and Amelia lit up the second they saw Rosalyn with bananas, which was one of their favorite healthy snacks. They wanted to reach for them, but Rosalyn brought it out of their arm lengths.

"Not so fast. It's these, or those. You decide."

Amelia was ready to take the bananas by force if she had to. Jonah pouted, not wanting to choose between the sweet stuff and the mana from the jungle of paradise that was known specifically as a banana. Amelia looked to Jonah, waiting for a response. She got it in the form of him asking for the bananas instead. She let out an icy scowl for Jonah as he hugged the hand of bananas.

"Come on, Amelia! You know these taste better!" He whined.

"I wanted both, you traitor, you!" Amelia snarled, forming ice crystals that started becoming visible.

Jeremiah got Amelia's attention by tapping her shoulder.

"Now, Amelia, we've talked about this. These snacks and this soda only tastes good, but is it actually good for you?" He asked.

Amelia gave up the fight and looked down with a scowl.

"No." She angrily ebbed.

"Then it's settled. You won't need the soda."

"Take the grotty things back, then. I can always have them some other time."

"Good. Now, let's get b-"

Suddenly, a scream was heard outside. Another monkey ran inside the store to get away from the bloons. They went to the back, near Rosalyn and Jeremiah, and tried to make a beeline for the PA system. Rosalyn yanked them out of their run, which was impressive if you don't know exactly how strong she is. Otherwise, it was considered mundane, knowing that ice monkeys can punch harder, and take a harder punch, than a normal monkey.

"Gerald, is that you? What is going on?" Jeremiah asked, annoyed by the cowardly monkey.

Gerald ended up snapping out of it when they heard Jeremiah's voice.

"Holy shit. Jeremiah! And Rosalyn!" They said.

Their wandering eye caught a glimpse of Amelia and Jonah. Amelia growled at him, and Jonah shied away.

"These your kids?"

Rosalyn facepalmed herself, unable to take Gerald's lack of common sense.

"What the hell do you want, Gerald?" She groaned.

"Oh. Right. Bloons. They came here. Ambush. It's bad. Leads, ceramics, and I think there may be a few purple bloons out there."

Everyone gasped in horror except for Amelia, who simply growled at the thought of bloons being around her.

"Let me at 'em! I'll se-"

Amelia tried to go outside to freeze as many bloons as possible, but Jeremiah pulled her back to him.

"You're not risking your life out there, young lady. That's final." He commanded.

"And as for you, Gerald, any MOABs or MOAB-class bloons?"

"None so far." Replied Gerald.

"Good. Now here's what's going to happen: kids, you stay here. Gerald, grab your darts. Rosalyn, you're with me."

"Why can't we go, dad? We want to pop bloons, too!" Asked Jonah.

"Becaue it's too dangerous for you kids to go. Imagine what could ha-"

"We don't care about that, dad!" Amelia blurted out, showing a complete disregard for her own life.

"I hate bloons with a passion! We're fighting them, whether you want us to or not!"

"Listen to me! You may be capable of protecting yourself against one bloon, but taking them on en masse will be dangerous, especially if you're on your own. Even if all of us went out there, your mother and I would never forgive ourselves if you got hurt. So please, just this once, stay here."

Amelia could feel the sincerity in his voice, and she couldn't be cross with him. She relented.

"Fine, dad."

"Thank you. But tell you what. If any bloons come in here and go after you, you have our permission to use your powers on them, okay?"

Jonah and Amelia lit up the second Jeremiah said those words.

"Really?! Mum, can we? Huh? Please?!"

"You heard your father. Any bloon comes for you, freeze them until there is nothing left." Permitted Rosalyn.

"YES! No bloon will stand a chance against me, the ice empress!"

Amelia strutted around, feeling high and mighty, and she walked into a display and fell down, landing on her backside.

"Some empress." Jonah giggled.

"So what? We get to cut those pathetic beasts down to size!"

"They're bloons. They're not beasts."

"I don't care; I get to pop them if I want. That's the point."

"Only if they come for us, Amelia!"

"They HAVE come for us!"

"Enough, both of you! Now stay inside; your father and I have some things to do." Rosalyn said, running outside to join Jeremiah.

Any monkey in the store that was armed and ready for battle abandoned their shopping carts and went outside. Then, the battle began. Darts and bombs were flying through the air. A sniper monkey that foresaw the ambush loaded his rifle with ammunition that could pierce through every last layer a ceramic bloon had for it. He didn't foresee some of them being fortified, forcing him to shoot for more targets than he was used to.

After 30 minutes of popping and explosions, a group of ten pink bloons managed to break into the store and head straight for Jonah. By the time he spotted them, he couldn't react, but Amelia pushed him out of the way, getting a pink bloon smack into her cheek. It knocked her down, but she got angry.

"No one hurts my brother and gets away with it!" She said, unaware she started slowing them down.

She got one in her grip, and froze it so violently, a layer popped off. Noticing it was still frozen, she punched another layer off, degrading it to a green bloon. It, alongside the other bloons that tried to hurt Jonah, slowed to a crawl.

"No! Don't hurt her!" He said, accidentally launching an icicle at one.

The icicle hit its mark, and a layer was popped off another pink bloon, knocking it down to yellow instead. Jonah looked at his hands in surprise, then at the bloons with a mischievous smile. Amelia notcied and shared the smile with him.

"Let's do it." She said.

Jonah nodded, finding courage he never thought he had, and shared a battle cry with his sister. He manifested many more icicles, ready to launch them at the bloons. He threw at whatever tried to get to Amelia, missing the first one, but getting the next when it got far enough away. Another got close, and he tried to aim at it again, only to miss again. Amelia made up for it by freezing the bloons that got close to both of them. Those bloons stopped and shattered a layer off.

"Jonah, are your eyes wonky again?" She asked, concerned Jonah couldn't aim up close.

"I don't know. I can see just fine far away, but when they get close, they get all blurry. What's wrong with me?" Jonah replied, worried about himself.

"I don't know. Let's sort these wankers out first, and then ask mum and dad, eh?"

"All right."

After about two minutes of popping the bloons that ambushed them, Amelia and Jonah went outside to go to their parents. When they went outside, it was chaos. They knew it would be bad, but they never thought the bloonswar would be this extreme. They saw their parents, having a hard time popping bloons. Jonah manifested more icicles and launched them all at the bloons that were on Jeremiah's tail. When the pop was heard, Jeremiah turned around quickly, only to spot Jonah's icicles impaled within. To makes things weirder, the bloons that were about to attack him were camoflaged, so Jeremiah wouldn't have spotted them unless he turned around soon enough, due to being nearsighted (but he never told Jonah that).

"What? How'd that happen? And why... is..."

Jeremiah stopped himself when he spotted Amelia and Jonah helping out with war effort. He was angry, yet relieved.

"Rosalyn! The kids went outside! I'm gonna get them!" He yelled.

"What?! Oh, bloody hell! I'm coming, too!" Rosalyn said, running to her kids as well.

They peeled out and dodged various attacks on both sides to get to them. When they did, they were very upset.

"Amelia Rochester Sandoval and Jonah Baker Sandoval, what on earth are you two doing?!" Yelled Rosalyn.

"Mum! Listen, bloons came inside, and Jonah couldn't see them up close, and I had-"

"STOP! We told you two not to go outside!" Jeremiah roared, interrupting Amelia.

"But we want to help! And why can't Jonah see up close?!"

"WHAT?! He's got eye problems?! Why didn't you say something sooner?!"

"I didn't know me eyes weren't right, dad!" Jonah shouted back.

"Fine, but why did you shoot an icicle through a bloon?"

Rosalyn got even more angry.

"You did WHAT, Jonah?!" She asked.

"There were camo bloons behind dad, and I shot icicles at them! They were gonna hurt dad; I had to do something, mum!" Jonah pleaded, trying to defend his blatant disobedience.

Both parents were surprised that their children would try and protect them, even at the risk of being punished.

"Look, we're sorry we didn't stay inside, but we wanted to know what was wrong with-MOM, LOOK OUT!"

Amelia Interrupted herself as she spotted a black bloon coming for Rosalyn, and she froze it in place.

"Anyway, we thought something was wrong with Jonah's eyes, so we wanted to ask why that is."

"If that's all you needed to know, it sounds like he's far-sighted. He can see far away things perfectly fine, but get them too close, and he's a sitting duck!"

Rosalyn smashed two layers of the black bloon that Amelia froze, causing slowed down yellow bloons to appear in place. Not that it mattered, since Jonah shot two icicles through them, which caused them to shed another layer.

"Had enough? Or do we have to get tough?" Asked Amelia.

As if the bloons heard Amelia, they floated away from them, scared of being popped into oblivion. Not that it mattered, since they got popped anyway.

"Well, that's one way to make them go the wrong way." Jeremiah said, impressed by Amelia's intimidation.

"See? We can help. Just let us!"

Rosalyn and Jeremiah looked to each other, almost as if they were talking to each other, and they nodded their heads to each other in agreement.

"Kids, just this once, you're not in trouble. I understand you didn't want to disobey us, but this time, it's okay. Come with us." Said Rosalyn.

Amelia beamed a smile so bright, it was like she became a beacon... which was actually somewhat true, since the bloons came after her now! Jonah and Rosalyn were having none of that, so Jonah made even more icicles and launched them while Rosalyn slowed down bloons with Amelia's help. They stopped moving completely if they got to within an arm's length of distance to Amelia. Jeremiah snapped off more bloon layers, over and over. The fight had gone on for about another ten minutes, and Jonah and Amelia were starting to get tired.

"Mum, I don't think I can handle much more." Jonah said, making fewer icicles to throw.

Jeremiah notcied Amelia was getting exhausted from the frost she was putting out.

"Amelia! Please, you have to stay awake! Are you okay?" He asked.

"I don't feel so good..." Amelia said with her consciousness starting to fade.

Jeremiah and Rosalyn started to get desperate. They didn't want to lose their children to this war, and there were still plently bloons around. Thankfully, it was the last wave of the ambush.

"Rosalyn! The children! What do we do?!" Asked Jeremiah.

Rosalyn was conflicted and fearful. She had a trump card, but she didn't want to use it because of what would happen without enough protection. But she clearly had no choice left. She shed a tear as she decided to perform a kamikaze attack.

"It's not what we do! It's what you do." She said, starting to cry.

"What? Rosalyn, what... do..."

Jeremiah saw the look in Rosalyn's eyes, confirming his worst scenario of all.

"Oh. No. No! No! You can't! You'll die!" He begged.

"I know I will. Let me see the kids one last time."

Jeremiah granted Rosalyn her last chance to see her kids. She gave them a great big hug.

"Kids, mommy has to go away for a while, possibly...forever. But just remember... no matter what, mommy will always love you. Please never forget that. Mommy loves you so much."

Jonah started crying as he knew what his mother was going to do. Amelia, however, was scared and confused.

"Why are you talking like that, mum?" She asked timidly.

"It doesn't matter. Just know that mommy loves you, Amelia. She always has... and always will."

Rosalyn gave Amelia one last kiss on her head. Then she shooed her away tearfully.

"Now get everyone inside a building, and tell them to crank up the heat. It's about to get very cold out here." Commanded Rosalyn.

Jeremiah obeyed her with a heavy heart and got the kids back inside the grocery store. He looked back at her one last time and contorted his mouth in a way that said "I love you". She responded back by mouthing "I love you, too" to Jeremiah. She cried as she started glowing. The air around her became extremely cold. The temperature was dropping, and every monkey that was outside could feel it. When they saw Rosalyn, they took it as a sign to evacuate, and quickly before they all froze to death. Jeremiah flung the door to the store open.

**_"COME ON! GET INSIDE, AND TURN UP THE HEATERS! NOW!"_**

Those words from Jeremiah were all they needed to run for cover and warmth. Then, when every last monkey was inside and cuddled together for warmth, Rosalyn unleashed her most powerful, yet dangerous, ability: a snowstorm so strong, no ordinary-class bloon could stand against it. Even the fortified ceramics were no match for her at this point. Then it happened. In an outward blast of power, the whole town was frozen solid. Anyone who wasn't indoors were certainly going to die, for the temperature plummeted instantly to a deep freeze of -372 degress Fahrenheit. The temperature shift was so fast, if you blinked, you would've missed it completely! None of the bloons could take it, especially not the camoflaged bloons! They all shattered, leaving behind mere fragments of what they used to be.

Ten seconds after the bloons were destroyed, the temperature climbed back up quickly, causing everything to thaw out. After ten minutes, the town and the temperature returned to its normal state. The ice and snow melted completely. Even the remains of the bloons were finished thawing out. Some monkeys stepped outside, curious about whether they were safe or not. One poked the shattered remnants of a bloon to confirm it.

"It's... it's dead. IT'S DEAD!" Said the monkey.

More came out to see if it was true. Their reward: a confirmation that they were safe. They all started whooping and screeching in victory, celebrating their survival by acting primal. And why not? They managed to survive an ambush, so their cheers and triumphant feeling were fit for everyone to do. Then Jeremiah rushed out to check on Rosalyn. Amelia and Jonah was hot on his tail, trying to find her.

"Rosalyn?! Rosalyn! Sweetheart!" He yelled.

He was loud enough to get the attention of all the monkeys that were outside. Some of them were worried. They started to help him look for her. Then one of them found her. She was almost buried in dead bloon scraps.

"Jeremiah! She's... she's over here." One said.

Jeremiah and the kids rushed to her side, only to find she had made her move fatal. Still, she clung to life madly, barely being able to speak.

"J-j-j-J-bird? Is that you?" She weakly asked, shivering.

"It's me, love. My winter rose." He said, crying.

"The kids... are they okay?"

"Yes. We got 'em in before your attack."

"Good. I can't... believe I really did this. I'm s-s-s-s-so c-c-c-cold, Jeremiah. It's too much. I c-c-c-can't take it anymore."

"Rosalyn, forgive me."

"No. Forgive ME for p-p-putting so much res-s-sponsib-b-bility on you. I used all my power in that attack, and now... I'm freezing to death."

"Please don't go, Rosalyn. We can sti-"

"No. WE can't. But you can. Please. Take care of the children, my love. Take care of them."

Jeremiah was crying even more now; Rosalyn became too weak to hold her head up.

"Of course. I promise. I'll take care of our kids. I promise. I love you."

"I know you will. Goodbye... Jeremiah. I love you..."

"I love you, too..."

Rosalyn let out a final, faint smile, and then passed on. She fell into that eternal slumber, never to awaken again. Jeremiah broke down completely, wailing loudly with tears to match. Jonah hugged his father and cried alongside him. Amelia was in shock. Her mother was dead? This was something she didn't believe. She couldn't believe! She wouldn't believe! She went into serious denial and ran to her mother, believing she could just wake up like it was some sort of bad dream.

"Mum? Mum? Mum, please. This is a joke, right?" She whimpered, trying to wake her up by nudging her.

"Get up."

There was no answer.

"Come on, mother! This isn't funny!"

Amelia got desperate and shook her mother's body while her denial went into maximum overdrive.

"Mummy! Mummy, please wake up! Please! Please, mummy, please wake up!"

Jeremiah couldn't bare to hear Amelia in such denial. He held her as tightly as he could.

"Daddy, stop! Mummy needs us to wake her up!"

Amelia was starting to cry profusely. She was completely losing it.

"I'm sorry, snowflake. Mommy can't wake up anymore. She's... she's dead." Jeremiah said through his tears.

Amelia couldn't handle what her father was saying at all. Her denial was even more persistent than ever.

"No. No! This is NOT happening! It CAN'T be happening! It CAN'T! She's not dead! She's just sleeping!"

"Amelia! Please. Let's go home."

"No! Mummy! Please wake up! Please! I... I'm sorry, mummy! Mummy, I'm so sorry."

Jeremiah carried his weeping daughter in his arms, and Jonah stayed by his side the whole walk home.

All three ice monkeys were devastated by Rosalyn's death, and the funeral for her three days later drove home the point to Amelia even more. She kept denying her mother's death, but the second she saw the casket, she fainted. It was just too much for her to take. She kept telling herself her mother was still alive, and when she got a hard dose of reality, she couldn't handle it. She woke back up about a minute after Jonah and Jeremiah got her seated, but she leaped up and hugged the casket, crying and screeching madly. Jeremiah did his best to pull her off and get back to the seat. Amelia, however, was simply trying to claw her way back to her mother. She regretted so many things, so many discrepancies concerning how she acted toward her mother. And all she wanted was to take it all back.

"I'm sorry, mum. I love you." She ebbed, still crying.

The service was done after two hours, and the Sandovals all went home with heavy hearts. Their loss was felt more than everyone else's, and the pain would never go away.


	2. The Ice Empress: Chapter 1

The Ice Empress: Chapter 1

About eight years later, Amelia and Jonah were enrolled in high school, alongside taking after school training at a local training center named "Poplarge", and Amelia was playing with a few other monkeys, being a couple of ice monkeys, a druid, and even a wizard. They were all playing some baseball in the Sandovals' backyard, due to their training being scheduled a little later at about 6pm. It was only 4, so they had some time to burn. They were up against another team that was playing with them; that team had a super monkey on their side, alongside a few wizards and a ninja monkey. Amelia was pitching to the super monkey, and she threw hard. The super monkey ended up missing because they were holding back.

"Ha! Strike one, RJ!" She mocked.

"You only got that 'cause I went easy on you!" RJ replied.

"You mean like I did when I broke up with you?"

All the other monkeys that were playing laughed at RJ, with the ninja and druid taking advantage of Amelia's paradoxical burn.

"She got you, man! Told you not be you on that date!" Said the ninja.

"Fuck you, Theo! It was mutual!"

"Yeah, when you pissed her off by saying she couldn't break up with you because girls can't do that! Your dad's feeding you bullshit, and you know it!"

RJ knew that was the truth. In fact, he actually believed Amelia to be an equal, but he knew she would never believe him if he said it now. Such was the path RJ was forced by his father to take. Oh, well.

"My dad...he's not like that." He whimpered, ashamed of what he was taught by his misogynistic father of a super monkey.

"Pathetic." Amelia said, ready to throw again.

She launched the ball even faster, and despite RJ actually hitting it this time, his aim was off, so the ball flew straight into the air, but only by about twenty feet. His running speed rivaled that of a car, but the druid named Sarah caught it before he made it to third base.

"You're out, ya sexist!" She said.

"Damn it! Alright, fine."

RJ hovered to the bench, not expecting to be out, courtesy of an ice monkey and a druid.

"Alright! One more out, and we switch! Ray, come on up!"

"Alright, let's do this!" Said Ray.

A wizard monkey at heart and ability, he was able to see Amelia's competitive spirit, but he didn't bother thinking about her. His eye was on the ball, and he was a smart monkey, so he was ready to put some heat on the ball. He did just that the second he batted it away. The ball soared up, almost like it flew away, out of the field and into Amelia's igloo. All of them cringed, hearing the shatter of the ice. Then Jonah let out a shriek of pain and called out Amelia's name.

"Ah, shit." Everyone on the field said, not wanting to face the wrath of Amelia's father.

Jonah stormed outside, heading straight for Amelia. Then the rest of the monkeys shied away from Jonah.

"What do you think you're doing, Amelia?! You know dad said 'no baseball in the backyard'!" He said.

"Hey, relax! She's just having some fun, Jonah!" Sarah said, defending Amelia.

"Yeah, you can play if you want." Said Theo.

"Besides, I know you wanna play with RJ."

"After the way he treated my sister? No thanks. Maybe if he didn't treat her like shit, I'd be interested." Jonah admitted.

RJ was offended. He didn't need to hear people talking about him like this.

"It was just one date! My dad always says the man has to take control of what and who he wants!" He said, trying to explain himself.

"And THAT bullshit is why I don't want you."

**"WHAT THE FUCK?! WHY IS EVERYBODY SUCH A JERK TO ME?!"**

"Because you're an asshole, and you're a coward that listens to daddy's sexist ways!" Amelia shouted.

Jeremiah was sleeping when this argument happened, but the noise was loud enough to wake him up. He grumbled, trying to find the source as he trudged out of his chair. He found the source, and he was not happy. He saw Amelia had set up a baseball field in the backyard, even though he said not to multiple times. He stormed outside, ready to talk to her.

"Come on, guys! Can't you just let-"

**_"AMELIA ROCHESTER SANDOVAL! WHAT IS GOING ON BACK HERE?!"_** Jeremiah roared, interrupting RJ.

The teenage monkeys all looked at him with a fire in his eyes that said "fear me".

"Uh oh." All of them, especially Amelia and Jonah, whimpered.

"All of you kids go home before I call your parents!"

All of them but Sarah immediately made a run for it.

"Sorry, Amelia. See ya at training." She said, making wings made out of leaves and branches.

The druid then flew away with the wings she manifested, leaving the adolescent ice monkeys to face their father alone. Amelia wasn't exactly happy to see her father be such a hot head, especially since he was an ice monkey, but then again, she knew everyone had those days. This was simply one she caused. But accident or not, she was still in trouble.

"Hey, dad. What's up?" She timidly asked.

"You didn't answer my question, young lady! What is going on?!"

"Well, I may possibly have set up an impromptu baseball field in our backyard, perhaps."

Jeremiah crossed his arms and shook his head in disappointment.

"'Perhaps'...doesn't seem like the correct choice of a word, Amelia. I thought I made it clear. I will not have a baseball field in my backyard. Take this stuff down, and put it away."

"Oh, dad, do I have to?"

"Yes, you do. Now hop to it."

Amelia groaned and did what Jeremiah told her to do. There wasn't much to put away, so it only took 20 minutes to get done.

"Okay, dad. It's done."

"Good. Now don't you think you should be getting ready for your training session?"

"That's not even for at least an hour and a half, dad."

"True. We should still get you something to eat, eh? Bet you're hungry, eh?"

"Kinda."

"Well, come on inside, then. Fix yourself something. I'll be in the living room with my books."

Amelia groaned and went inside per her father's request. I guess I could eat. Might as well. Don't know how hard this session's gonna be, she said to herself. It took her a good ten minutes, but she made herself something to eat. It wasn't much, but it would certainly keep her stomach quiet until she got back home. She ate in solidarity until Jonah grabbed a few bananas and plums. He peeled a banana and took a bite as he sat down at the table.

"What's ruffling your fur, sis?" He said with his mouth somewhat full.

"Why do you have to tell me what I can and can't do?" Amelia said, takkng a bite of her cooking.

"I'm not the one who turned the backyard into a baseball field when dad keeps saying 'no baseball in the backyard'! You know our house is made of ice! Come on, sis."

"So what, I'm not allowed to have a little fun before we have to train?"

"See, that's the thing. You think of training as a job, and that's bullshit 'cause-hold on..."

Jonah finished the banana he was eating and started eating a plum.

"Alright, thanks- and that's bullshit 'cause it's not a job. It's the way we learn how to defend ourselves. Besides, you gotta admit, being able to pop bloons without having any consequences if we don't or miss by accident is pretty cool, right?"

"Jonah, you forget, we were popping bloons when mom was alive."

"You forget I can't see if they get too close to me. That's why I took the training: to help me perform an area-of-effect (you know sis, an AOE) burst of frost! Now I can freeze bloons up close without having to worry about throwing icicles and missing!"

"You still could've asked for contact lenses!"

"They make my eyes hurt, Amelia! We've been over this!"

"Then that's where glasses come in! Wear those instead if you don't want contacts!"

"No! They make me look like... you know, Benjamin! Useless on the field, he is!"

"Benjamin brings his own important cybernetic attributes to the field!"

"Yeah, when he's not fucking hacking a game 'til it's a gaudy mockery of what it's supposed to be!"

Amelia and Jonah were starting to show how much of their father's temper they had within them. Jeremiah was not amused, due to their yelling disturbing his reading. He set the book down and went to the kitchen, wondering what they were fighting about.

"Benjamin is an important part of our army, and you know it!"

**_"BENJAMIN IS A WEAK FUCKING NERD WHO HAPPENED TO GET LUCKY BY BEING FOUND BY THE ARMY!"_**

"Jonah, stop speaking ill of the people who help keep our kingdom safe!" Demanded Jeremiah.

"There you are, dad! Help me settle an argument, please! Don't you think Benjamin is weak? All he does is type on that fucking keyboard, and magically, we get more money or something! It's pathetic! Don't you think people that actually fight are supposed to be on the field, dad?"

Upon listening to Jonah's argument, he pondered it for a moment. Then he said what he had on his mind.

"Here's my way of seeing it: if you can defend yourself, and help others defend themselves, THAT is what matters most to me. I'll admit Benjamin has his own way of doing things, being that he rather sit on the sidelines and let everyone else do the fighting while he helps get more money to spend on weaponry, but I refuse to take sides. Sure, he could fight, but he's chosen his path, so I wouldn't just make him fight if he didn't want to."

Amelia got a smug look on her face; Jonah just sat there, glaring at his father in disappointment.

"Told you, Jonah." Amelia gloated before eating more of her food.

"Good. That's settled. Also, don't speak like that to me, young man. I told you your profanity is unacceptable to be used towards me."

"But Amelia says it all the time!"

"Yeah, but not to dad's face, like you just did." Amelia mentioned.

"Fuck you, Amelia!"

"Stop saying that word!" Jeremiah said, pointing his finger at Jonah's chin.

"Sorry, sorry." Jonah apologized, not really meaning it.

"Now was Benjamin the only thing you were fighting about, because I'd like to get back to me book, if you don't mind."

"Yes, dad. You go ahead and read to your heart's content."

"Good. Also, both of you stop being profane while you're in the house, alright?"

Both of the young ice monkeys groaned at their father's request, confirming they weren't going to honor it. Jeremiah went back to his chair, shaking his head in disapproval of their behavior. _Oi. Those kids,_ he thought.

About an hour and twenty minutes later, they all took off to Poplarge.

"Come on, dad. Are you coming or not?" Asked Amelia.

"I'm taking you to the center. Of course, I'm coming." Jeremiah said, holding an ice pack close to him.

"Oh, again with the ice pack?"

"It would do you good to keep one on you, too. Your ice powers can remain at optimal performance if you keep yourself cold."

"Says the ice monkey who likes hot food and drinks."

"Don't get cocky. I know you cook your food and eat it hot."

"No, I cook the food, and freeze it while it's in my mouth, unless I simply wait until it gets cold."

Jeremiah had a blank expression on his face and glanced at his son, expecting a reaction, but he didn't get one.

"...Let's get you kids to the center."

They managed to make it there in time with five minutes to spare. Then they scurried inside their respective locker rooms, which separated them depending on whether they had powers or not. Amelia caught up with Sarah, who was practicing her thorn manifestation.

"Sarah, there you are! Sorry I'm late." She said.

"Actually, you're right on time. Or you would know that if you had a watch or a smartphone." Sarah replied, tossing a thorn into the air.

"I told you my dad took it away because of what I said to him a week ago."

"I told you not to go to that party. And I told you to stay away from that super spicy salsa."

"It was delicious!"

It was torture watching you roll on the ground, complaining that your stomach was on fire."

"You try being an ice monkey, Sarah."

"Oh no, I'm good. Although it's not fun knowing that your home can be cut down without people knowing you're inside. That's why we hang a sign on the branches."

"Alright, I guess that makes sense. Let's go. Our instructors are waiting for us."

And so they made it inside the training room. There they saw a couple of iconic figures all the monkeys in the kingdom knew: Quincy and Gwendolin. Jonah was enamored with Quincy the second he saw him; Amelia and Sarah had nothing to say, although Sarah was checking out Gwendolin in a way that suggested she liked her. All the other monkeys were chatting with each other randomly until Gwendolin shot a fireball into the air. The fireball exploded, and it got everyone to shut up and look at her.

"Good. Now that I have you attention..." she started, smiling fiendishly.

"It's time to get today's training underway! But first things first. A few questions. First one, purple bloons. What are they immune to?"

All the monkeys raised their hands, but Gwendolin only picked one: Ray's.

"Yeah, you. The wizard."

"Plasma, heat, and any attacks based on energy. So pretty much anything I use on it. And you. To an extent." Answered Ray.

"Alright, not bad. But maybe you forgot something. How is it that they're only immune to my fire gun to an extent?"

"Well, usually if you tinker with it enough times, even you can pop a purple bloon."

"Someone's been paying attention! That's right! Still though, what about what a lead bloon's immune to?"

More monkeys raised their hands. Quincy picked one this time.

"Yes, Sarah?" Quincy chose.

"Anything sharp...and lasers." Said the druid.

"Hold up. Lasers can melt through lead too, can't they?" RJ said, raising his hand.

"Not so fast! That's heat-based lasers. The ones super monkeys normally use are based on light, and not heat." Quincy confirmed.

"That's why I can't pop lead?"

"Afraid so."

"Man!"

"Don't worry. All it takes is a little extra focus and power, and you'll be able to pop those leads, no sweat. That's called 'plasma vision' for you super monkeys and super monkey fans out there."

"Yes. Now who can tell me some other ordinary class bloons with immunities?" Asked Gwendolin.

Even more monkeys raised their hands. Even Amelia raised a finger.

"Alright. The lady ice monkey."

Amelia was chosen, but she didn't act super enthused.

"Black bloons can't be blown up, I can't freeze white bloons, and zebras are invincible against me AND bombs." She said, folding her arms and looking away from Gwendolin.

"Good. We'll talk about MOAB-class bloons later, but for now, let's pop some bloons!"

Quincy and Gwendolin left the room and entered the control closet with Benjamin who was safe inside. Benjamin turned on the intercom, and Quincy started talking through it.

"Now who can tell me they've seen a camo bloon before?" He asked.

Nobody but Jonah raised their hands. Jonah had it only slightly raised, however.

"Why isn't your hand higher, kid?"

"I can only see them from a distance! I'm far sighted!" He shouted, trying to let Quincy hear him.

"Far sighted?! Well, that's no good! Today's course is about seeing the camo bloons up close!"

Jonah clenched his hand in fear, knowing his eyes would fail him in this challenge.

"Permission to leave the training area?!"

**_"GET OUT OF THE ROOM!"_** Gwendolin loudly permitted, snatching the intercom away from Quincy.

Jonah ran out of the room quickly before they started sending the bloons inside the area.

"Anyone else with eyesight problems?!"

Everyone raised their hands, except RJ.

**_"OTHER THAN NOT BEING ABLE TO SEE THROUGH SOLID WALL?!"_**

Everyone lowered their hands.

"Good! Now let's get popping!"

Benjamin released the bloons into the area, where no one but Theo could see them because of their camoflaged status.

"Activate the sonic radar pulse." Said Quincy.

Benjamin did just that, and the bloons that were camoflaged were able to be spotted by all the monkeys in the room. They still had their camo status, but their covers were blown. RJ beamed as many lasers at them as he could, but some of them were leads, and the lasers ricocheted off like a bullet. The super monkey groaned and pulled at his fur a little, angry his efforts to pop lead bloons was for nothing.

"Don't just give up, RJ!" Sarah said, launching some thorns at a camo purple bloon.

"Try something else! Maybe you have a few spare darts on you?"

RJ frantically searched his body for anything sharp. He found but a lone road spike.

"Heat it up! Or give it to someone who can!"

RJ noticed Ray throwing a fireball at a purple bloon, but it glanced off, and RJ grabbed it instead. A stupid move, for it was painful to hold, but it was enough to heat up the spike to crack open lead. He flew to a lead and stabbed it hard enough to pop it. He did the same to some other leads before a purple tried to sneak up to him. The bloon clearly made a bad move, for it didn't know RJ had a super heated road spike on him. RJ quickly popped the initial layer, and lasered the rest of it away.

"Alright! Nice teamwork, you guys!" Quincy said, clapping from the booth.

RJ patted himself on the back too much; he ended up getting his tail handed to him by a couple of ceramic bloons. They ended up knocking him into a wall.

"Okay, that may not have hurt, but that was just uncalled for." He said before shooting more lasers at the ceramics that made a fool out of him.

The super monkey was not amused, but Amelia caught a glimpse of it, and she couldn't help but laugh at him. Then she felt the presence of a few pinks, which ended up losing a layer by how harshly Amelia froze them.

"Keep your eyes on the bloons!" Remined Gwendolin.

The yellow bloons were too slow to escape Amelia, due to her permafrost ability. They were helpless as she snapped off another layer on all of them, which caused her to grab one and smash off another layer. She kept freezing and punching the bloons until they were all gone. Then she met a white bloon. She searched herself for anything sharp, but she had nothing.

"Sarah, help me out here!" She yelled.

Sarah quickly turned around and threw a thorn, popping the white layer, and Amelia took it from there. Then came the ceramics that gave RJ a sobering experience. Despite their attempt to charge at Amelia, getting close to her caused them to slow down. Not a lot, but enough to give people a fighting chance to crack them open, and take out whatever came out. Gwendolin noticed.

Everyone get close to the lady ice monkey! She's slowing down those ceramics!" She said.

Sarah and Amelia were against each other's back, ready to fight. Ray and Theo tried to help out by coming over. Ray provided the defrost, and Theo offered a few flash bombs. Theo had the wrong idea, due to a black bloons showing up with the ceramics, too. He threw the bomb, but nothing happened to it, except maybe a split second dazing. Ray erected a wall of fire around Amelia and Sarah, negating Amelia's ice to an extent.

"Amelia! You cool?" Asked Sarah.

"I would be, if Ray hadn't intervened." Amelia said, feeling too much of the heat to keep her ice effective.

The ice monkey ended up being forced to leave the wall, but she got singed a bit on her tail, which accidentally caused the fire alarm to go off, dousing the flames. Then Benjamin activated the emergency session ending sequence. The sprinkler system went off, and the bloons defense system activated too, causing the bloons to be destroyed instantly. Gwendolin and Quincy went back to the young warriors, somewhat disappointed, but also relieved because things could have been worse.

"Not a bad start, but... that was a dangerous end." Quincy said, referring to Amelia's somewhat burned tail.

"How bad is the burn?" Asked Gwendolin.

Amelia took a look, but she didn't have a good vantage point. Sarah took Amelia's tail into her hands, feeling the end until she got a pained reaction from Amelia.

"Ow! Don't squeeze it, Sarah!" Amelia said, still feeling the burn off Ray's literal firewall.

"Sorry! Let me just..."

Sarah manifested a couple of leaves and wrapped them in vines she also created. Then she emitted a little magic on the leaves. After ten seconds, the leaves and vines fell off, showing Amelia's tail to be healed completely.

"Wow! Thanks, Sarah! It's all better now!"

"No problem!"

"How'd you do that?"

"Do what?"

"Heal me."

"Oh, that. Just a little trick I learned from my dad. We druids can heal physical damage of most any type. However, there's a limit to what we can do. If the injuries are too much, our magic won't save them; it'll only slow down their death, which, I've heard, is a lot more painful."

"What about when you get sick?"

"You're on your own. Or maybe a wizard monkey can help if they know what's wrong with you. They're like doctors, except they use magic and more holistic treatments."

"So, they're basically quacks?"

"No, their stuff works if you're sick. But they don't like to use their magic for that. It's just last resort."

"What if you're dead?"

"They can zombify you if they study enough dark magic. It's said they can even affect purple bloons if they learn powerful enough spells for those."

"No. I mean actual revival. Like you remember everything. Not a zombie."

"That's stupid. Even Ezili can't do that."

"Not as stupid as RJ trying to stare at bloons to death."

"What the fuck? Why are you always being a jerk to me?" RJ whined.

"Go fuck yourself, RJ. Not my fault you can't pop lead on your own."

"Alright, that's enough of that! Come with us. We gotta review your performance." Quincy said, leading the monkeys to another room.

They made it to a lecture-room of sorts, having up to six rows with all the monkeys fitting in the closest three.

"Guys, back up a bit. The screen's pretty big; you'll need to see all of this." Said Benjamin.

They all moved up, but only by one row.

"Okay, that'll do."

Benjamin switched on the screen, and inputed the video that was taken of the session. It showed the questions that was asked at first and their respective answers. Then the video of their actual training played. It showed people's attempt at overcoming their weaknesses and failing miserably. It also showed Amelia not even bothering to go after something she couldn't damage on her own. After the video finished, the message was clear.

"Now, it's obvious where eveyone failed at." Quincy said, shrugging his shoulders.

"A great many people tried to hurt what they couldn't on their own. Thorns can't crack open metal, and lasers based on light will also glance off. Purple bloons redirect any energy based attacks. Black bloons shrug off bombs like it was dust, which has a little truth to it because of the dust bombs sometimes kick up. And although Amelia got help with that white bloon, she was the only one who didn't bother trying to pop it alone. That's because she knew not to waste her time and energy on something it would never affect. Then again, that's not uncommon, for most ice monkeys know this and will refuse to use their power unless they're trying to freeze something else."

"Exactly. Now let's talk about the flaws in strategies." Gwendolin recommended, getting out the files for the new possible recruits.

"Now, let's take a look at Sarah, first of all. Where did Sarah go wrong in the ring today?"

"I didn't make enough thorns. I was trying to focus on all the bloons, but I also couldn't throw them very far. My aim's pretty short." The druid confessed.

"Hey, you didn't do half bad. At least you didn't burn someone by accident." Ray said guiltily.

"Dude, don't put yourself down like that. You were trying to help Amelia." Said Theo.

"Oh no, he's right to. Sometimes, you have to be tough on yourselves. That's the best way to learn from your mistakes." Said Gwendolin.

"Now how about you, Amelia? Where do you think you went wrong today?"

"Me? I just wasn't where I was supposed to be, and I ended up paying for it." Amelia said, being harsh on herself.

"To an extent, but you were just try-"

"I was supposed to be where the most bloons were. But instead, I ended up being where only a few would touch base at."

"Thank you, Amelia. But let's talk about RJ now. RJ, where did you fall short?"

"I can't beam through metal. And a purple bloon snuck up behind me." Said a dejected RJ.

"You can't beam through metal because your eyesight isn't strong enough for that. But that purple bloon wouldn't care since not even a sun avatar can stare one of those to death."

RJ hovered with a pout on his face.

"Now Ray has already covered that he caused an injury, so what about Theodore?"

"Please. You can call me Theo." Said the humble ninja monkey.

"Right. What did you do?"

"I threw a flash bomb at the bloons that surrounded Amelia and Sarah. It didn't hurt them, but a black bloon was in the middle of them, so it ended up not hurting the black bloon. I mean, it should've at least stunned it for a bit."

"It did, but nothing sharp chased the thing, so it didn't count."

"Yeah. Forgot to throw my shuriken at it."

"And you can't control it by making it go for the bloons."

"I know. It's a cool looking weapon, but don't touch it casually, or you might cut yourself. It's too sharp to not cut through about 4 bloons."

Gwendolin was impressed at how sharp his shurikens are, but she felt he was hiding something from her that she needed to know.

"You have your own sharpening stone, don't you?" She assumed.

"Yep. And I even have a little sheath for them if they're not being used. See?"

Theo took off a strap on his body that revealed many shurikens, confirming he was armed. He also showed a small pouch he had for his flash bombs.

"You're not trying to rob me, are you? Because that would be punishable by insubordination and imprisonment." Benjamin said, somewhat scared of Theo now.

"Please! As if I need to use these on you! Trust me, only the bloons get to feel it like this."

Theo got ready to throw a shuriken at the wall, but RJ caught it in mid-flight about a foot before it could make its mark. However, he did get a cut on his finger that healed completely about thirty seconds after the cut was made.

"Theo, you can't do that in this room! You know it's against the rules!" RJ said, licking on the cut.

"Stop licking your wound!"

"It makes the healing process faster! And it's an antiseptic. Only for super monkeys."

"Okay, that about wraps up the physical part of the session. So! Everybody follow us; we're going to look at MOAB-class bloons. Learn whatever we need you to know about it." Quincy said, leading them to another room.

They all scurried out of the room, taking Benjamin with them by accident. Benjamim's call for Quincy and Gwendolin to pull him out went unfulfilled, for they were also caught in the tide of monkeys. Then Gwendolin used her fire gun, which got the attention of everyone.

"Now if everybody's done with their imitation of a mosh pit, **_ACTUALLY FOLLOW US! IT'S THIS WAY!_**" She yelled, angry she almost got trampled.

Most everyone looked away in shame, but they followed her general direction nonetheless while she, Quincy and Benjamin dusted themselves off. A rather mortifying way to handle a bunch of monkeys learning to pop bloons, but they would've eventually shrugged off the experience.


	3. The Ice Empress: Chapter 2

The Ice Empress: Chapter 2

Gwendolin was still a little heated by the time they got to the MOAB dissection center. It was essentially a body shop that had its size quadrupled, chiefly due to taking apart downed MOAB-class bloons.

"Now does everyone still want to trample us, or can we go in there in a triple file line CALMLY?" She said, still salty about the experience.

Amelia simply walked right to the doors without bothering to care about Gwendolin had to say.

"Hey, don't go in there willy-nilly! You're suppo-"

"Gwen-can I call you Gwen?- Gwen, if it makes you feel any better, we didn't mean to almost trample you to death. We're sorry. Now can we please finally go inside? The less I have to know these MOABs are alive, the better." Amelia said, interrupting Gwendolin in a matter-of-fact mannerism.

Gwendolin didn't bother yelling at her. She simply stared at her with an impressed look on her face.

"I like you, Amelia. You got moxie. I like that." She said.

"Go ahead in."

Amelia nodded her head respectfully to Gwendolin (despite showing absolutely none mere seconds ago) and walked in calmly with her head and tail held high.

"Everyone else, get inside. We've got some things to teach you."

Everyone else tried to rush inside, but the glare Gwendolin gave off was enough to make them submit. Then they all entered the way she specified. When they all got inside, Benjamim pulled out a flash drive and a device that displayed holograms.

"Alright, you guys. Now who can tell me what this is?" Benjamin said, plugging the flash drive in and turning the device on.

The hologram of a MOAB was shown on display. No one could tell what it was, other than it being a blimp, of course.

"This is a Massive Ornary Air Blimp, or a MOAB for short. This is what we refer to when we say MOAB or MOAB-class. Unlike most bloons, these are resistant to many forms of defense that we monkeys have. For example, like the ceramic bloon, the Massive Ornary Air Blimp is capable of sustaining multiple hits before popping. However, unlike the ceramic bloon that takes ten hits to crack open, a MOAB would take, at the very least, 200 hits just to crack the initial layer. And that's without any fortfication. With some armor, it would take double the amount to down it. It was often said back then that it was the 'Mother Of All Bloons', but as you can probably already tell, this has since already been discredited as correct, despite it showing a small bit of truth due to releasing four ceramic bloons when released."

"But wouldn't a bloon that size be an eyesore to look at? You know, stick out like a sore thumb?" Asked a confused RJ.

"Exactly. Thankfully, most MOAB-class bloons cannot possess the camo status or the regeneration status."

"Why did you say most?"

"Because there is only one exception to that camouflage rule. But we'll talk about it later."

"No, the fuck we won't. We're talking about this now. What's the exception?" Amelia said, somewhat spooked at what she was learning.

"Whoa, dial back the moxie, sass mouth!" Quincy said, feeling offended Amelia was being profane.

"If you really want to know, we'll tell you. Ben, bring it up."

Benjamin switched the projection to another blimp. It had some metallic ring on it, alongside a dark color scheme.

"This is a Dark Dirigible Titan, or a DDT. DDTs are powerful and nasty to deal with. One of them beat the dignity out of me once. It was painful. Anyway, a Dark Dirigible Titan has the ability to move at a similar speed to a pink bloon, the bomb invincibility of a black bloon, the immunity of a lead, the usual properties of a MOAB-class bloon and the camoflaged status, making it a bloon strong enough to where even I'm scared of it."

Everyone in the room, especially Benjamin, was shivering in fear. Even Gwendolin was trembling.

"Anything else we should know?"

"Yeah. They ALWAYS come in threes, or worse, MULTIPLES OF THREE. NO EXCEPTIONS."

There was no more room for doubt now. Amelia was actually scared of the MOAB-class bloons now. Quincy made sure of that with such sobering facts about the blimps.

"I'm sorry I pushed so hard, sir."

"Apology accepted. Now let's move on to higher ranking MOAB-classes."

Quincy signaled Benjamin to bring up a hologram of another, larger blimp, which came up even larger than the previous blimps.

"This... is a Brutal Floating Behemoth, or a BFB."

"That's a big fucking bloon, man."

"Please don't interrupt. Now, the Brutal Floating Behemoth is even stronger than a MOAB, which is why the MOAB was discredited as the 'Mother Of All Bloons'. It takes at least 700 hits to split the initial layer in two, or should I say four, because doing so reveals four MOABs when it happens. The only arguable good news about a BFB is because it's stronger than a MOAB, it's also slower than one, too. In fact, most MOAB-class bloons, except for the DDT of course, are at least as slow as a red bloon, sometimes even slower. Lead bloons go at the speed of a red bloon, too. Now, lets get the next blimp up, Ben."

Benjamin switched the projection to an even larger blimp. It had a skull on the top, a black and green color scheme and two turbines in the back.

"This is the Zeppelin Of Mighty Gargantuaness, or the ZOMG. The ZOMG is even stronger than the BFB, and unlike the others you have already seen, this has a few immunities that we monkeys just can't seem to get past. For example, I saw a monkey pirate try to down one of these, but the grappling hook just glanced off of it and fell into the water. Also, we shot a MOAB assassin at it, but it only made a few dents in it. All of that is because it takes 4,000 hits to pop it. It's hard, but if you know the right things about it, you can make it show the four BFBs that are waiting for you inside."

Quincy started getting a little nervous of what he was about to show next. He was scared, but he knew the truth had to be seen.

"Now, let's...let's..."

Quincy looked to Benjamin and Gwendolin for some comfort, but all he saw in their faces were equivalent fear.

"Man. If only Ezili were here. Ben, show the last one."

Benjamin trembled and looked away as he showed the last blimp hologram he had on the flash drive. The hologram showed a colossal blimp even bigger than all the others, effectively dwarfing everything before it.

"This...this...Gwen, you do it."

Quincy gave up and had Gwendolin introduce them to the blimp.

"This is... the Big Airship of Doom. But we call it a BAD." Gwendolin said, trying to keep herself cool.

"The Big Airship of Doom is currently the most powerful MOAB-class bloon of all. It's invincible against quite a few things. It takes a lot just to scratch it! If you wanna kill off one of these things, it'll take no less than 20,000 hits. And that's just the initial layer. Inside, it has 2 ZOMGs and 3 DDTs just begging to be popped."

Amelia was getting scared enough to accidentally cause the temperature to drop by 20 degrees. Everyone, especially Gwendolin felt the change.

"Yikes. Did it just get super cold in here?"

"Sorry. I can't control it." Amelia apologized.

Gwendolin looked at her in surprise with a hint of fear.

"Okay, 'deep freeze'. Anyway, it's immune to a lot of things."

"Like what?"

"Well, if you want to stall for time, you can't. You can't knock it back, you can't make it stop for a short time, you can't even slow it down! It'll just keep coming at you until it gets to where it wants to go. The only solution is to just keep hitting it as hard as you can until it gets destroyed."

Everyone was getting more fearful by the second. _We're going to be fighting these monstrosities we're forced to classify as MOAB-class bloons, and we might not be able to even stop them? This is getting serious_, they all thought.

"Well, is there a way to get the job done? 'Cause it sounds pretty grim to go against them." Said an almost petrified RJ.

"Luckily, we've developed powerful anti-MOAB technology. They allow us to make quicker, or at least survivable, work of these MOAB-class bloons. In fact, RJ, you're a member of one of the methods. As a super monkey, you are naturally capable of attacking at an extremely fast pace. So fast, there isn't much that can match such speed. Also, because you're a super monkey, you're capable of unlocking your own power to make yourself deal more damage to these MOABs and stronger if you focus your powers."

"I am?"

"Yes. Super monkeys are capable of a lot of things. The type of ways you can become stronger is almost awe inspiring."

"How?"

"Well, one way is to study the ways of the past. Bring worship of our sun god into play. Another is to rely solely on technolgy. Try your hand at embracing the future. One more is simply to embrace your dark side, and wreak havoc upon the bloons that trespass onto your brooding mindscape."

"Wow. Those sound pretty cool."

"Yeah, but no matter which path you go down, you will always have to make some changes."

Gwendolin walked to RJ and grabbed his cape, despite him not wearing his super monkey outfit.

"For starters, what the fuck is this?"

"It's my cape. It shows that I'm a super monkey."

"WAS your cape!"

RJ was starting to get a little offended by Gwendolin's behavior and harsh language. He took his cape back.

"What do you mean 'was'?!"

"I mean **_'GET RID OF IT'!_**"

**_"THIS IS MY CAPE! I'LL CHUCK IT WHEN I'M DAMN GOOD AND READY!"_**

"No, you chuck it when I tell you to, or you don't get to fight!"

RJ was getting angry with Gwendolin, enough to the point where he accidentally shot plasma out of his eyes. Gwendolin deflected it with her weapon, but the plasma shot ricocheted, causing RJ to get shot by it in the back of his head. He wiped the plasma off of his neck, feeling a slight burning sensation, alongside the smell of burning fur.

"Wow. That... should've hurt more." He said, surprised he acquired plasma vision entirely by accident.

Everyone else, especially Gwendolin, were impressed. RJ had finally learned how to shoot plasma from his eyes, and he had Gwendolin enraging him enough to thank for it.

"And THAT, RJ, is how it's done. That's how it's done."

"What did I do?"

"You tapped into your hidden wellspring of power. All monkeys have it, especially monkeys that exhibit special powers, like you, Amelia, Sarah and Ray. All monkeys that can use magic can become powerful if they focus hard enough, and now thanks to you doing just that, now you can pop lead bloons. The only problem: you still can't pop purple bloons."

"Fine. I'll just bring about 100 or so spare darts. No one will care if I do that."

"Actually, yes, they will. If a super monkey has learned how to shoot lasers or stronger from their eyes, it's forbidden for them use darts on the battlefield again. It results in a serious fine."

"Uh oh."

"Yeah. But hey, good for you for becoming more powerful. I bet you'll do better than today next time. I'll bet everyone will get better. So, training's over for today, you guys. Go home."

All the monkeys training were sent home for the day. They all made their way back to their places. RJ flew back home, excited to tell his father the exciting news about his new power. Truly a shining achievement he didn't think was possible as he glowed the entire way back to his father.


	4. Chapter 3

The Ice Empress: Chapter 3

RJ made it back to his home before dark. He hovered as he brought out a key to the doorknob. Once he unlocked, he hovered inside and closed the door, brimming with anticipation. His father, Ronald Densun-Johnson, noticed his expression and spoke about it.

"Someone's feeling good today. You finally know how amazing your old man is?" He asked in a narcissistic manner.

"No, not that, dad." RJ replied, trying to hold back his excitment.

"Hmm...oh! I get it! You found a girl to make you your meals and wash your clothes for you."

"What the fu-no, dad. That's not it."

"Well, then why are you so excited?"

"Okay. You know how my laser vision happened about a few months ago?"

"Yes? I think?"

RJ was surprised at how much of a narcissist his father was. He was hurt by the fact that his father didn't even know RJ developed laser vision, but he continued anyway.

"Well...just today, for the very first time, I shot plasma out of my eyes!"

"That's... not quite as good as my first time, but okay."

RJ was even more offended that his father didn't care much about RJ shooting plasma from his eyes.

"Dad, aren't you happy? I have plasma vision now! I can pop those lead bloons you keep complaining about!"

"Ah, but you can't shoot as far as I can yet, AND your ultravision hasn't come in, either. So you can shoot plasma. Big deal. I can also shoot plasma from my eyes. But that didn't stop me from learning how to aim further away from me. In fact, I'm going to the cybernetic implant center tomorrow to see if they can make me into a robo-monkey. Half-super monkey, half robot. I'll be able to blast those bloons to smithereens with both barrels, not JUST one set of eyes."

RJ's pain became even more visible now. He was starting to cry. Ronald wasn't in the mood to see his son cry, especially since he believed it was for women, which was beyond stupid of him to think.

"Stop crying, son. You're becoming a man, and men don't cry. They get angry and punch things. Like this."

Ronald punched his son on his forearm, causing RJ to float away from him.

"Son, why are you acting like a woman?"

"I am NOT acting like a woman, dad! Why can't you just be happy for me?! I told you something good, and-"

"No, you told me something stupid. There's a difference."

"How the fuck is it stupid, dad?"

"Simple. I learned plasma vision same as you. The big difference: you learned today, and you're 16 years old. And a half. I learned when I just turned 12. So that's why you're not as good as me, despite your efforts to impress me, of course."

RJ was getting angry and even more saddened by the fact that his father would compare the same skill to when they acquired it.

"Dad, what the fuck is wrong with you?! This was a good thing for me to learn, and you're acting like I'm incompetent because you learned it faster?! Why?"

"Son, having a woman in the house who knows she should either be in the kitchen or in the laundry room is good. Knowing that I'm the greatest super monkey in existence is good. Learning plasma vision is rudementary, at best! Don't think it's a good thing. It's something all the super monkeys learn."

"No, it's not, dad!"

RJ started wailing in front of his father, getting looks and head shakes of disapproval.

"And you call yourself a man. Get out of my face. You're barely showing any resemblance of a man. Come back when you remember that tears are for women, and not men."

RJ flew to his room quickly and shut the door as he cried into his pillow.

"Why can't he just be happy for me?! I try, and I try, but it's never enough!"

RJ continued crying into his pillow for about twenty more minutes, and he ended up crying himself to sleep by accident. He had no idea that a certain female ice monkey had been watching from the windows and even saw he was mistreated by his father a lot. She even saw him crying about it to himself.

"Wow. I never knew RJ had it so rough. Sorry, man." Amelia said as she watched the adolescent super monkey drown in misery.

She climbed back down to Jonah with a sobered look on her face. Then both her and Jonah started walking home.

"Is he gonna be okay?" He asked.

Amelia shook her head.

"I had him all wrong, Jonah. I had him all wrong. Most everything we thought about RJ... is wrong. He's not a dick, he's just trying to make his old man proud of him... even if it's not something he agrees with."

"So you wanna give him another chance?"

"No. I'm not dating him again. He burned that bridge. Maybe he and I can be friends if he unlearns the crap his dad is feeding him, but for now, he's on his own."

Both ice monkeys made their way home to rest for the night. Before Jonah opened the door, Amelia grabbed his hand, as if to tell him a secret.

"Jonah, we CANNOT tell anyone at school about this."

"Agreed." Jonah said, opening the door.

They were lucky Jeremiah wasn't awake, for if the secret got out, surely he would put his own life at risk trying to get RJ out of this predicament he was in. As Amelia got ready for bed, she knelt at her bedside and started praying to the sun god.

"Oh powerful Sun God, tonight I ask you not only for forgiveness of my tresspasses, but to give RJ the strength he needs. I pray that you give him the courage he needs to escape the badlands that has become his life. And should I fall into that eternal slumber, I pray that you take custody of what remains of my essence. Amen."

Amelia ended her prayer and went to bed. She saw a side to RJ that was never spotted before, one that was tortured and repressed. No longer did she feel hurt and angry at him. She felt... helpless and sorry for him, sorry that she could do nothing to aid him at the state she was in.

The next day, Amelia went to school. It was a Thursday morning, about 7:50 am, just fourty minutes before classes would begin. She was walking alongside Sarah talking about yesterday's training when she spotted RJ. She saw RJ's eyes, which looked somewhat used. She noticed they were reddened, due to excessive tear shedding. Amelia got a worried look on her face. Sarah noticed and got her attention.

"Amelia, why are you looking at RJ like that?" She asked.

Amelia didn't want to say anything about what she saw.

"Nothing. Just noticed he's not looking very super today." Said the guilty ice monkey.

"Why do you say that?"

"You didn't noticd he's walking? He usually hovers around, near the ceiling."

Sarah took another, more observant look at RJ, only to notice Amelia was right! RJ was feeling the effects of his rant with his dad, and he walked sadly to his locker.

"Yikes. Who gave him dolomite?"

"Dolomite? What's dolomite?"

"You don't know? Dolomite is a mineral that we use for metals and something to add to when we feed our livestock."

"So?"

"It's also something that makes super monkeys temporarily weaker. It shuts down their powers for a short time. For some super monkeys, it also has an emotional bondage to weaken them. If they don't get physically weak, they become more emotionally fragile instead."

"So you think RJ's like this because someone gave him dolomite by accident or something?"

"Yep."

"Right. I'm checking on him. Stand back."

"Your funeral."

Amelia lightly swatted Sarah's forearm, not appreciating the comment Sarah put out.

"Hey."

"Stop, Sarah. I'm just checking on him. Not like I'm giving him another chance."

Amelia walked up to RJ, unafraid of what could happen next. The super monkey just put his books into his locker, and when he closed the door, he saw Amelia. He jumped and floated backwards slightly, giving Amelia some space.

"Amelia? What are you doing over here? Your locker's next to Sarah's, isn't it?" He asked, somewhat nervous.

"Are you okay, RJ? I noticed you weren't floating until just now." Amelia asked bluntly.

RJ got an ashamed look on his face and looked away from Amelia.

"Yeah. I'm fine. You don't have to worry about me."

**_You're a fucking liar, RJ. I can tell you feel like shit right now,_** she growled to herself with an angry glare.

"Good enough for me, RJ."

Amelia turned to Sarah and whispered something to her ear. The druid then whispered to Amelia, which resulted in both of them doing a small celebration. Amelia then went back to RJ, smiling a little.

"RJ, we need to talk. After school. Bring Theo and Ray alongside you, too."

"Um, ok."

Despite the lack of sense that hung onto Amelia's request, he kept thinking about what Amelia said. He then becoming scared. _Did she see me crying? Aw, fuck. She's gonna tell everyone_, he thought.

At about 2:35 pm, school was out for the day. RJ was still a little uneasy about what Amelia had wanted with him. He saw her at her locker, and he brought Ray and Theo with him like she asked, but something didn't feel right about what was wanted. _She said she wanted to talk to me, but it doesn't feel like a talk,_ he thought. _What does she want with me?_ Ray tapped RJ's forearm.

"Calm down, dude. Whatever Amelia wants with you, I'm sure it can't be that bad." He said.

RJ looked to Ray, even more unsettled than he already was.

"Ray, can you read minds?" The super monkey asked, fearful he learned something he shouldn't have.

"Yeah, to an extent. I can't hear memories, but I can read minds. Only immediate thoughts, however. I can't hear memories or thoughts of memories that pertain to past events, even if it's just about a day back. If it's closer than that to about right now, it's kind of muffled."

"Is that like something you choose to do, or is it something that can't be controlled?"

I can control it. I can also make it so I can hear up to four people's thought at a time. I can't hear Amelia's, though. She keeps a lot on lockdown, so unless she opens up, I can't hear a thing from hers."

"You can't hear her thoughts?"

"Nope. But I could hear yours in math."

"Really? What did mine say?"

"This."

Ray pulled Theo over and got him to kiss RJ. The super monkey blushed at what Ray did. Then Ray pulled Theo off of RJ, chuckling mischievously.

"You sly fox." Theo said, smiling and looking back at Ray.

"I told you RJ liked them both."

"Well, I'm glad I know RJ's into me, but maybe we should focus on what Amelia wanted from him."

"Agreed. Let's go."

Ray, RJ and Theo approached Amelia and Sarah. The ice monkey and druid saw them from the corner of their eyes and smiled.

"Good. You got my message. Does anyone of you guys know where the wizard lord lives?" Amelia asked with a dark grin.

"I do. So does Sarah." Replied Ray.

"Wait. Who's the wizard lord?" Asked RJ.

"Oh. That's right. Not everyone knows. The wizard lord is a wizard monkey that has an immense prowess for magic. He can do a lot of things. He can summon tempest tornadoes, cast lightning strikes, he can even summon a powerful, phoenix that shoots blue flames. He also uses his magic for more civil things. Long story short, you wanna learn magic, he's your guy. He's also perfect for helping magic users to control their magic. The only problem: it's said he's either a traitor to the kingdom, a megalomaniac, or a cannibal. That last one I hope is wrong." Amelia lectured.

"Why are you so interested to see him?"

"Because he's also psychic. I want to talk to him. He should be able to talk to us if we're civil about it."

"He lives in a spire that he built for himself outside of town. I'm pretty sure he's gonna kill us and eat us if we trespass on his property."

"Only if we're dangerous to him. And I would never... well, not NEVER, but I'm relatively harmless!"

"Nope. Bad idea. We're not going to see him."

"You fucking owe me, RJ. You gave me a terrible date, so the least you could do is help us get to the wizard lord's spire."

"Arghh! Why do you have to resort to that?! Alright, fine! I'll help you get there! Just stop fucking bringing that up. Please."

"No. You're taking us there, or I'm telling everyone your secret."

RJ's eyes opened up wide. He got scared of what Amelia proposed. Then he thought back to what his father said. **_If you tell as much as one person about this, I'll mutilate you so horribly, you will never heal from it. I mean it. You won't have a tail or your manhood after I'm done with you. You won't even be able to fly, walk, or be mobile either. All it takes is one small utterance of what I do to you._** Those words rang in RJ's head so loudly, he started trembling. Ray heard what he was thinking, and he was scared of it, but out of fear for RJ's well being, he refused to say a word, confirming he lied a bit earlier.

"Okay. I'll help. I'm sorry." RJ said, visibly trembling in fear.

"Good. Now let's move, people."

Amelia smiled as she walked off the school grounds, but she also texted her father with Sarah's phone, telling him that she was gonna explore the town for a while. Her father texted her his approval, telling her to return home safe. She texted her obedience to him. Then she handed back the phone to Sarah, who put it away.

"So, Ray and Sarah, where exactly is the wizard lord's spire? I have to ask him something, and you guys and RJ are gonna help me out."

"Hold on." Sarah said, trying to get Amelia to take a small moment to prepare.

"First, we got at least five miles between the school and his place. We'll have to go past the bridge above the river where we get a great deal of power going to the town from, then we gotta go past this windmill farm, and afterwords, we'll be going into a deep forest where the spire sticks up about two feet above the treetops."

"Sounds easy."

"Only if you can drive. And even then, you gotta ditch the thing when you start getting to the forest. After that, technology won't help you."

"Thankfully, Sarah and I know a trick or two." Said Ray.

"Our fur will change color if we get close to the place. Also, we can see the steps it takes to get there. For Sarah, it's a little faint, but for me, I just have to focus and use my monkey sense."

"What about your fur?"

"My fur turns yellow if I get close to it. Sarah's will turn the same color as mine is right now. Brown. Anyway, let's go. Can't stay here all day."

"Yeah. Let's get moving."

RJ hovered about two inches off the ground, waiting for Amelia and Theo to hop on. As he felt them hitch a ride on his back, Ray levitated into the air using his magic, and Sarah manifested make-shift wings for herself, enabling her to fly. Then they all took off.

As they all flew, they got a bird's-eye view of the town they all lived in. Amelia looked to her left, and she saw the palace for the king and queen, King Ezekial Marigold-Sanders and Queen Melissa Sanders. She was amazed at how the palace looked. Most castles would look like they were made out of stone. This one, however, was more modern, powered by the same energy source as the people, alongside magic from the king, for his majesty was a wizard monkey himself, one that mastered the power of air, allowing him to summon tornadoes and strike lightning. Not to mention he had the abilty to spot camo bloons on his own and throw fireballs as well.

"That's a pretty kick-ass castle his majesty has." Sarah said, looking to where Amelia was.

They saw the river with the bridge Ray was talking about as they kept going after about 45 minutes.

"Ray, I see that bridge you mentioned!" Amelia yelled, hoping Ray heard her.

"Yep! That's the one! We're doing it right! Let's keep going! We're making good time!" Ray confirmed, leading the way.

After an additional 30 minutes, they all started flying past the windmill farm.

"Good! The windmill farm! RJ, we're gonna make our descent!"

"What?! Why?!" Asked RJ.

"We can't see the spire from the treetops, so we gotta go through the trees, NOT over them!"

RJ groaned as he did as Ray said. Sarah made herself close to the ground, gliding downward but keeping herself airborne about a yard above the ground. They all swerved around the windmills, careful not to hit them. Then they made their way out and went for the forest. After yet another ten minutes, Ray signaled Sarah and RJ to stop flying when they got close. Sarah touched down on the ground softly, and RJ simply slowed down and floated downward. When he got close enough, Theo and Amelia got off of him, allowing him to land.

"Alright, everyone. Sarah and I will lead the way. Follow us."

Sarah went next to Ray's side, looking through the forest. She sensed a small trail of magic, alongside an old path of completely faded away footsteps, and followed it. Her eyes glowed red, and they casted a light that showed the way. Ray was also using his monkey sense to feel the same path that Sarah was pointing out. He saw the way a little more visibly in the form of a more clear-cut path. RJ, Theo and Amelia followed them, unable to separate for fear of getting lost. It took thirty minutes to walk through the place, dodging branches and fighting off wild animals that wanted to eat them, but they made it without a scratch.

"Here we are." Sarah said, pointing to the home of the wizard lord.

As Amelia and RJ looked up, they saw the spire tower into the treetops, just like it was told. They were all a little nervous for what could happen next. Why wouldn't they be? This spire was home to a wizard lord that fed off monkeys, and they didn't want to be his next meal.


	5. Chapter 4

The Ice Empress: Chapter 4

RJ, Amelia and Theo got their guards up as Sarah and Ray walked to the door unafraid. The druid knocked on the door placcidly.

"Yes?" Said a voice from the other side.

"Excuse me, sir. You may remember me from my voice, but my name is Sarah." Replied the young monkey.

"Ah. You're the one who I taught how to connect with nature more thoroughly. I can sense you brought some friends alongside you. Come in, dear. Come in."

The door opened, and all of them stepped inside. Then it shut behind them, and the lights turned on. RJ was scared, but Theo held his hand to try and calm him down. RJ only let down his guard a little bit.

"There, there, young ones. I have no need for animosity towards you. You have done nothing to me, so you have nothing to fear." The wizard lord said, stepping forward to make himself visible.

Amelia was amazed at what she was seeing. A monkey who mastered magic that had a brown hat and robe with green patterns and yellow fur. His eyes were shown to be brimming with power as they glowed orange.

"If I may be so bold, what's your name...sir?" Amelia said, giving him her hand cautiously.

"Ah, my name. You may refer to me as Alabaster Lenquist. But my friends call me 'static flare'."

Amelia immediately felt at ease. Powerful yet humble was a good combination in her eyes.

"Right. Well, my na-"

"Amelia, it's fine. You don't have to mention YOUR name to me. I already know it to the fullest. Miss Amelia Rochester Sandoval, who also calls herself the 'ice empress'. To what do I owe this visit with you all?"

"You want me to sugarcoat it, or just tell you the truth?"

"Honesty is the best policy as far as I'm concerned."

"In that case, I have a few questions. The first: why is it that you don't fight on the battlefield anymore? Were you kicked out, or were you deemed too dangerous, or what?"

"Ah, yes. That. Take a seat, everyone. You deserve to know."

All five of the teenagers sat at the table of Alabaster's dining room, who went to the stove as his tea kettle went off. He brought a few cups out with his telekinesis and set them down. Then he came back with some sugar and the kettle, ready to fill up six cups.

"How many cubes?"

Sarah simply waved her hand at the sugar; RJ and Theo asked for two; Amelia and Ray asked for one, but Amelia held the cup in her hand and cooled her tea down.

"Your cyrokinesis is quite a gift, Amelia. How often do you use it?"

"I don't know, sir. I get told to stop sometimes when I get upset." Amelia said, having a sip of her tea.

"Ah, I see. So much potential. So little control over it all. You know, you're not like most ice monkeys."

"I'm not?"

"She's not?" Everyone else asked.

"No, not at all." Confirmed Alabaster.

"I know. I've seen the past pertaining to you. And I can tell you're more powerful and stronger than you let on. But you don't use it, either because of fear or lack of awareness of how far you can go."

"And what's that supposed to mean?"

"It's supposed to mean 'what you don't lack in power, you're missing in discipline and restraint.' Being as powerful as I am, I can help with that. But first, the question you asked me."

Alabaster sat down at the table, took out his crystal ball, and got ready to spin his tale.

"Now then, let's go back to that day when the bloons were learning about our methods of causing their destuction. The first day this occured, the king found out I was using more power than should be possible. I could summon tempest tornadoes, cast lightning strikes upon bloons, I could summon a giant phoenix to rain down flames upon all the bloons who defied the king, even the MOAB-classes. It was great until a bunch of purple bloons showed up. Little did I know that unlike most bloons, it would be immune to my attacks. No matter how desperate I was to eradicate it, I failed multiple times. And then, it dawned on me. If I couldn't attack it, maybe someone else could. I took over the mind of a dartling gunner, and used them to pop those bloons to oblivion. We won the battle, but his majesty saw my actions. After watching me take the power of the most extravagant thing around me one too many times, his majesty believed I was more of a detriment to the cause, and therefore, forbade me to participate on the field again."

"How did you retain your power?"

"Simple. Some monkeys tend to spend a lot just to make sure that they pop well. Of course, this also makes them conceited and complacent. They believe that they can pop anything that comes their way, no matter how incorrect that is. That's where I come in. I take them off their high horse by stripping them of every last thing they have to pop bloons with and kick them off the field. If it's an object that had the same cash injections, I destroy it and make certain that it's broken beyond repair. Once that happens, I toss it off the field, too."

"I can't imagine they would be happy about that."

"Shame you never got to see their faces, Amelia. Their rage boiled so harshly within them, they stomped away from me and told the king. One, however, tried to kill me. And you know what I did?"

Everyone perked their ears up to listen closely to what Alabaster had to say.

"I...ate...them."

All of them cowered in surprise, confirming that Alabaster ate monkeys.

"Do you do that to all the monkeys?" Sarah asked, scared for her life.

"No. Only the truly wicked, the irredeemable, so to speak."

Alabaster turned to look at RJ.

"By the way, RJ, I've been watching your father. A narcissistic misogynist, he is. Truly despicable, although some might consider that a compliment compared to what he's done in the past. However, if I had to say one good thing about him, it would be this: he looks delicious."

"You think so?" Asked a nervous RJ.

"Yes. For your see, I only feed on the wicked monkeys, and your father is the worst monkey of all. I'm certain if the Sun God had enough reason to, they'd strip him of his powers and force him to live the rest of his life without them. The second that happens...he's on my menu."

"Why go that far?"

"He's such a failure as a super monkey, he's a disgrace to the species. He tells you to treat women like shite because he wants to feel like a man. In addition, he pretends to want to help you become one, but the second you do something he deems 'effeminate', he throws you under the bus!"

Alabaster became unusually passionate about what he was saying to RJ. He clearly hated his father with a passion. He started getting on the table closer to RJ.

**_"BECAUSE YOU'RE A LITTLE DIFFERENT FROM MOST SUPER MONKEYS, WHICH ACTUALLY MAKES YOU BETTER, AND HE'S A TRAITOR TO HIS SPECIES AND HIS GENDER!"_**

RJ knew Alabaster was telling him the truth. He started crying, and he hugged the wizard lord, looking for comfort. Alabaster returned his attempt by giving him a shoulder to cry on.

"It's so hard! I do everything right, and it's NEVER ENOUGH! **_WHY IS IT NEVER ENOUGH?!_**"

"Because he doesn't know how to appreciate the things he has in life. You do. That's why you're better than all the other super monkeys out there. Because you know it can all be taken from you, and you don't take everything for granted."

"You... you think so?"

"I do, Randall. I really do. And... I'm sorry you have to deal with him for now, but mark my words: the key to your freedom is within you, Randall. You may need some assistance in obtaining it, but it WILL be quite worth your while."

"Thank you...Alabaster."

"Of course. Now your tea."

"Oh, right."

RJ sat down and took a sip of his tea. He enjoyed it quite a bit.

"Now, next question, please." Said Alabaster.

"About me, Alabaster." Amelia said, standing up.

"What exactly do you know about me? Or even my mother?"

"Ah, yes, your mother." Alabaster said, summoning an image from his crystal ball.

"Your mother, Amelia, was an amazing woman. She was a lover AND a fighter. She loved to fight. When she was younger, she was just like you when YOU were younger. Violent, uppity...a good heart. Sure, she had some shortcomings, but ultimately, she had a good heart. She cared about others, despite how little she wanted to show it.

Then came the day she met your father. It was the very first time she fell in love. Got to admit, your father was a little rough around the edges, but so was she. Eventually, both of those rough-edged people smoothed out and settled down. Had a family. Your brother and you."

"You know my brother?"

"Do you think I only kept tabs on the wicked monkeys out there? Anyway, they settled down, made an igloo. At some point, bloons had attacked the ice home they lived in. Your father was quite protective of her and Jonah (he was only a year old, and you weren't born at the time) and froze those bloons to death. After that, they resolved to move closer to town. Figured it would be safer with you coming along as well. Years later... well, you remember that one night a lead bloon went for you, right?"

"Yeah. I froze that thing like it was nothing. Pathetic little thing, it was."

Amelia accidentally let her true voice slip out, and everyone heard it.

"Whoa. Amelia. Your voice is cute." Said RJ and Sarah at the same time.

Amelia blushed a bit in embarrassment, not expecting her druid best friend or the super monkey known as her ex to hear how she really speaks.

"It's a right mess. That's what it is! Only a fool that isn't Sarah would actually enjoy it."

"No. It's a nice accent, Amelia. I think your real voice sounds so much better than how you normally speak around me." Sarah said, complementing her friend.

"You really think so? I thought it always so-"

"Who gives a fuck, Amelia? Your voice... is hot. If this is how you really sound, then I don't think you should be hiding this...harmonic voice from me. Or anyone else."

Amelia blushed even harder, figuring out that Sarah had a thing for her.

"Sarah, I'm sorry, but...I don't like ladies like that. You're a good friend, but I don't think I can be that way with you."

"It's fine. But since you know already, I may as well admit it: I'm gay, Amelia. I'm gay for you."

"You...have a way that makes me jealous."

"What's there to be jealous about?"

"That! The way you can just be honest with your emotions! You're in love with me, and I don't love you back."

Sarah stiffled a laugh and then burst out laughing.

"I'm not in love with you, Amelia. I just think you're hot."

Amelia felt like an idiot for a moment and pouted.

"I hate people so much right now. Not as much as I hate myself, but... meh."

"Amelia, stop being so hard on yourself, love. You're doing the best you can right now." Said a merciful Alabaster.

"Besides, we haven't even gotten to the root of your problems yet."

Amelia and Sarah sat back down in their seats. Sarah winked at Amelia, and Amelia looked away, embarrassed at what just happened.

"Yes, I'm sure you're both still going to be friends with each other. You won't have to worry about that part. Still, I would say that the reason why you have problems with controlling your powers is chiefly because they're linked to your emotions. Albeit, it's an indirect link, but it's still linked to them. Therefore, it would be more difficult to reign them in. I'd suggest finding a good therapist, or if you can't do that, stop holding all your pain and sadness in. Give it a chance to be seen. If you don't do it on your own, it will make its presence known without your consent. Your true power will burst forth, and even you won't be able to stop it. It will simply happen until it has been spent. I had to do the same thing. I had to let the truth be felt by me. I was never upset with his majesty when he told me I couldn't fight on the battlefield anymore, but I felt saddened that I couldn't support the cause directly. It went like that for a while.

One day, I realized something: I could still help, but it would be indirectly, in the form of training other wizard monkeys and druids. That's where Sarah came in. Her father told her to come to me. She had much to learn about herself. At first, she could barely make a thorn from scratch, and now look at her! She can fly using large leaves and strong branches! And the best part is I was able to help! And you know what? I don't regret teaching her at all. I don't regret teaching any of the monkeys what they know."

"What are you saying, Alabaster?"

"I'm saying 'you have an untapped wellspring of raw power at your disposal, and I believe one day when the time comes, you'll know just what to do with it'. Do those words sound familar, Ms. Sandoval?"

Amelia had a short flashback to when her father said those words. She put the pieces together quickly.

"Dad. Dad said those words. What you said wasn't exact, but they were close enough."

"Exactly. Your parents believed in you, Amelia. They still do."

"What about mom?"

"That's another story. Now, truthfully, I can't see through the boundary between our world and the next one. But if I had to guess, this would probably be what you're mother is saying right now: 'that's right, Amelia. I always knew you would do great things with your powers. And I know one day, I'll be able to say I told you so.' One thing's for sure, Amelia. Your mother always loved you. She never stopped, even in death. From beyond the grave, she'll keep believing in you, even when you stop believing in yourself. Just remember that she's still with you."

Amelia started feeling her heart get heavy.

"How? She's dead."

"Well, you keep her close to your heart, don't you?"

"Of course I do. Wouldn't trade her for the world, I wouldn't."

"Well then, she never left in the first place! She's watching out for you, waiting for the day she gets to see you again. What mother wouldn't want that?"

Amelia perked up a little from Alabaster's theory.

"Yeah. That sounds pretty nice. But still one last question: why do you think my dad's so hard on me?"

"Well, I can't read his mind, but my guess is that he may be too harsh sometimes, but chances are he only wants you to be a better person."

"You think so?"

"Of course. No respectable parent would want their child to be forced to fight, steal and kill to survive."

"That sounds like the monkeys that go feral from being in the war for so long."

"Yeah, well those monkeys got drafted, and...**_THAT'S NOT THE POINT!_**"

"Look. I get it. I wanna be a good person, too. I do."

"I know you do. Besides, you know your parents would only want what's best for you. So you might fall down a few times. It's fine. You just have to get back up. When you're at a crossroads in your life, you can move left, or you can move right, but no matter which direction you choose, you still have to move."

"And after that?"

"What you do after you choose your path is up to you. Even your parents can't tell you otherwise. At some point, they can give you suggestions, but that's all they can do for you. Guide you. They can help you get back up, but you still have to put in the effort yourself. If you want to be a better person, they can give you some advice, but it's up to you to decide whether you want to take it or not."

Alabaster floated upward and pointed to everyone.

"And the same goes for the whole lot of you, not just Amelia. You want to do better in life, you have to want it, too. You can't just say you want to be good, you have to make the right choices in life. If you mess up, fine, but don't let your past be your truth. Don't act like you don't need emotions. Be true to yourself, and if anyone wants to chastise you for it, they'll have to get over it or leave you. And if they try to force you to become what they want you to be, they'll be answering to me and my stomach."

Alabaster chuckled a little before sitting back down.

"Well, this has been a pleasant visit, young ones. I see you're done with your tea, so have a nice day! Good bye!"

Alabaster opened the door with his magic, allowing the teenage monkeys to leave. They all walked out, but RJ was stopped before he could leave.

"One more thing, Randall. If your father keeps going down the path he is now, let's just say he'll be going down another in due time. I suggest not following him down it unless you don't need to breathe or see sunlight ever again."

RJ cringed and hovered away from the cackling wizard lord, scared for his father and himself. Then he caught up to everyone who was making their way out of the forest.

"Your dad's gonna die after all this is said and done." Said an ominous Ray.

"I know, and I can't save him." Responded RJ.

"Why should you? Your dad is an awful person. I bet even the Vengeful Monkey wouldn't want him, either. He'd probably just chew him up, and spit him out like a piece of gum."

"Speak of the Vengeful Monkey, and they shall appear." Amelia said, holding out a sun pendant.

"Yeah, don't jinx us, Ray. That's why we all go to the temple: to stay on the Sun God's side, so they don't cast us into the badlands of the afterlife." Sarah said, making some more wings.

She made a magical connection to them when she finished, keeping them folded backwards to make sure she didn't take up too much room in the front. When they all got out of the forest and back to their homes, via the way they came, they all had something to think about. The wizard lord may have been powerful, and his sanity was questionable at best, but he DID know what he was talking about. And none of them could forget his wisdom so easily, especially not RJ or Amelia.


	6. Chapter 5

The Ice Empress: Chapter 5

For the next week, none of the five teenage monkeys said a word about what Alabaster said to them. They were somewhat scared of what could happen if they said a word. RJ continued to suffer under his father's dystopian ideals, and Amelia was still unable to follow the wizard's instructions, thanks to her stubborn nature. But she did at least consider it. As she got to the training center at an unusually early time, she noticed Theo, Ray, RJ and Sarah already there. Jonah was with Amelia, but he was trying to keep a low profile for now around RJ, which failed miserably, especially since the super monkey already spotted him.

"Jonah, don't hide behind your sister." Commanded Sarah.

"Sorry! I just... figured you didn't feel like seeing me today." Said a nervous Jonah as he exposed himself to everyone's line of sight.

"Wow. You're an even worse liar than Amelia said you were."

"Told you, Sarah. He's awful at lying. That's why dad trusts him more." Confirmed Amelia.

"Yes, it is, isn't it?" Said her father from behind.

Amelia jumped a bit and cause a brief fall in temperature around her. The displacement was negated about a second later.

"Dad?! Why are you still here?!"

"You forgotten already?! I'm supposed to help supervise your training today. In fact, I think Benjamin and Gwendolin are waiting for me."

"There you are! Get over here!" Gwendolin yelled, spotting Jeremiah.

The elder ice monkey started making his way over to the pyromaniac.

"Goddammit." Jonah and Amelia whispered out of their father's earshot.

"What's the matter? Can't handle your old man being here?" Prodded Sarah.

"Shut up, Sarah. He's not gonna go easy on us just because we're his kids."

"DAMN RIGHT, I WON'T!" Jeremiah said, just barely making out Amelia's statement.

While the heroes and Jeremiah congregated, Amelia and company had their own affairs.

"So, no one's said anything about... you-know-who, right?" Asked Theo.

"No, no, not at all." RJ said, not noticing Jeremiah and the other two heroes closing in on them and listening to what they had to say.

"Wait. Who's 'you-know-who'?" Asked Jonah.

"Well... don't tell dad, but about a week ago...we all went to see the wizard lord, and he...told us some things."

"What kind o-"

Amelia screamed and accidentally froze the ground around her while causing an even sharper, longer lasting temperature drop. Sarah felt it.

**_"YEESH! AMELIA, WATCH YOUR POWERS! MAN, THAT HURT!"_** The druid said, feeling a stinging sensation all over her body.

Amelia shivered in fear and looked to her father.

"Sorry. You were saying, dad?" She mumbled.

"What kind of things did the wizard lord tell you?" Asked Jeremiah.

"Well, about those things..."

Jeremiah glared at her in disapproval. Gwendolin shook her head.

"You tell him now, we don't make you try to pop any white bloons, okay?" Gwendolin said, trying to bargain with Amelia.

"Alright, fine. We went to the wizard lord's spire, and we...well, I, asked him some questions."

"Like?"

"One was why he didn't fight in the field anymore. Long story short, the king said not to. The next was about mom, and it turns out mom was just like I was when she was growing up. And the next...well, I didn't really get to ask him, but he kinda just answered anyway. It was going to be 'why am I having such a hard time controlling my powers?", but he answered before I could say it. Apparently, they're linked to my emotions indirectly or something? I don't get it, either."

"Oh. Well, no wonder you texted from Sarah's phone. Speaking of which, here. Take yours back. I think you've had enough time without it."

Jeremiah brought out Amelia's smartphone and handed it back to her. Amelia took it before he could put it away again.

"Finally. Thanks, dad."

"Just don't send any malicious texts like that to this super monkey again, or I'm keeping it for a year."

"Don't worry. That's the last time you have to worry about it for RJ, even if he's horrible to be around. Isn't that right, RJ?"

RJ scowled and looked away from Amelia shamefully.

"Yeah. That's right."

"Anything else you learned while you were there?"

"He essentially told me to 'be honest with my emotions', or whatever. Stupid, right?"

"Not at all! I think you're still grieving a bit, and you're trying to keep people from seeing the pain you're going through. Well, you're not alone, snowflake. Your brother and I still miss her dearly."

"Please stop talking about mum, dad."

"Amelia, you know tha-"

**_"WILL YOU PLEASE STOP TALKING ABOUT MOTHER?! I DON'T NEED TO TALK ABOUT MY EMOTIONS!"_**

Amelia was getting angry, enough to cause the whole center to get cold quickly. Everyone started shivering.

**_"EMOTIONS ARE THE ENEMY OF BLOON-POPPING! IF I WANTED TO TALK ABOUT MY MOTHER, I WOULD'VE SAID SO! NOW STOP TALKING ABOUT MUM SO I CAN POP SOME BLOONS ALREADY!"_**

By the time Amelia stopped yelling, everyone was starting to shiver violently. The temperature in the place dropped to 25 degrees Fahrenheit. Gwendolin used her fire gun to heat up the room. It sped up the process by a lot, and the temperature went back to a normal 74 degrees Fahrenheit.

"Wow. For an ice monkey, your girl's a real hot-head." Gwendolin said, putting away her fire gun.

"Yeah. She was always like this. She calmed down after... the incident, but she's still an angry person. Not everything about her has changed. But she's still my little snowflake."

Jeremiah rubbed Amelia's head affectionately with his hand. Then came a small tear from his eye. He wiped it away quickly and turned away.

"Alright. Let's get this training underway."

Jeremiah walked to Gwendolin and Benjamin, and they all went to the control room again. Benjamin turned the PA system on, and Jeremiah spoke into it.

"Alright. Now today is about attack speed and priorities. Most everyone in here can target their attacks to aim for the bloon that is furthest away from the entrance. That is their default target priority. However, some people have a different priority: whichever bloons are CLOSEST to them. That is where us ice monkeys, alongside any tack shooters, shine brightest. While everyone else can choose to aim for the closest bloons, the strongest bloons, the bloons that are closest to the entrance and the bloons that are nearest to the exit, some are restricted to a default up close range. In addition, while some, like a super monkey, can shoot at blinding speed, others are not quite as gifted. The trick is find out how much you can do and how fast you can do it."

Amelia facepalmed while Jonah manifested a cyrokinetic gun. He also created a little armor for himself, which covered his face, except for his eyes and mouth, and his forearms and legs. He even created shoes for himself made out of ice. Jeremiah nodded, impressed by what Jonah managed to do.

Then Amelia did something she never did before: her eyes started to glow as she levitated into the air. Jeremiah and everyone else was taken aback, shocked that Amelia could do such a thing. Then they started feeling the cold as the bloons came for her. Everyone but Jonah and Jeremiah shivered. Even the bloons were feeling the cold. It was too much to take without shedding a layer, and the bloons stopped when they got within her arm's reach. She curled her hand out to a pink bloon, forcing it to stop in its tracks as she clenched her hand and snapped off four layers. Gwendolin shuddered, imagining Amelia was doing the same to her bones.

"Yikes. Remind me not to piss her off." She said, feeling sorry for the bloons.

"Right." Jeremiah said, staring at Amelia.

As Amelia unconsciously unleashed more power, the room started to ice over. Everyone started getting scared.

"Hey, old man, get your daughter to reel it in, okay? We're gonna freeze to death if she keeps going." Gwendolin said, feeling the fear of death mixed alongside the cold.

"Uh, snowflake, you can stop now." Jeremiah said, grabbing the intercom.

Amelia kept floating up to the ceiling with her body starting to be encased in ice.

"You can take a break now if you want to, Amelia!" Said a cowering Benjamin.

Jeremiah started losing it. He made a mad dash out to the room and smashed the ice cocoon Amelia made, just like he did when she was younger. As he held on to her, she made a descent, thanks to her father's weight, and made it to the ground, still in a trance.

**_"AMELIA, CAN YOU HEAR ME?! IT'S ME, YOUR FATHER!"_**

Jonah lost control and went to his father's aid, trying to make Amelia come to her senses.

**_"COME ON, AMELIA! YOU GOTTA QUIT IT! DAD'S GETTING SCARED!"_** Jonah said, violently shaking his sister.

**_"SNAP OUT OF IT! SNAP OUT OF IT, AMELIA!"_** Sarah yelled while she kept trying to keep herself from freezing.

Amelia still didn't respond. Sarah got desperate and tackled her. Then she started slapping Amelia in the face.

**_"SNAP OUT OF IT! PLEASE! YOU'RE ABOUT TO KILL US! PLEASE!"_**

Sarah started crying as she kept slapping Amelia. About eight seconds later, it finally started to work.

"Huh? Sarah? Dad? Jonah?" She inquired, starting to get a grip.

Her vision was somewhat blurry, but she shook the cobwebs out of her head, and the room temperature returned to normal. The ice that formed melted and left behind a slick floor. As she sat up, she felt a searing pain on her face.

"Ow! Why does my face feel like it got kicked by RJ?!"

"Don't you EVER make me slap you like that again." Sarah said, kissing Amelia on the lips.

Amelia wiped her lips and cringed a bit.

"Again, not into girls."

"Alright. You okay, sis?" Asked Jonah.

"I'm surrounded by my family and my gay friend who kissed me in front of my father, even though I told her I'm not into her. And to make things worse, I ended up blacking out while trying to use my powers, and by the time I found out I did something stupid, I got smacked in the face by the aforementioned friend while I got my brother and father hovering over me to see if I'm okay. So, NO. I'm NOT okay."

"Was it because of the situation you virtually explained to completion or wa-"

"It's because I made you guys worry about me by accident, even when I didn't mean to. And now, I'm pretty sure I'm in big trouble."

"Not exactly, although you can't participate for the next two weeks of sessions." Gwendolin said as she walked to Amelia.

"You need to learn how to control your powers. And to do that, you need to get in control of your emotions."

**_"WILL EVERYBODY STOP TALKING TO ME ABOUT FEELINGS?!"_**

Amelia let out a powerful burst of cold, but Gwendolin was ready for it this time as she turned up the heat on her fire gun.

"Yeah. Just for that, THREE weeks."

Amelia groaned in anger and exasperation, stomping out of the center.

"I'm going home, dad and Jonah! Don't wait up for me!" She angrily yelled.

Amelia slammed the door, and she left everyone else alone. Everyone felt awkward as Jonah and Jeremiah tried to find something to say, but they couldn't; clearly, it was too embarrassing to mention.

"Do...you...want to leave, Jonah?" Gwendolin asked, twidling her fingers with an awkward smile.

Jonah looked to his father, trying to get a reaction. He got nothing but a cringe on his father's embarrased face.

"Uh...no?" Replied the teenage ice monkey.

"Right. Everybody, let's wait until the floor dries up. Step outside, and I'll speed up the process with Benjamin."

Everybody left the building for about an hour, which gave Gwendolin, Benjamin and the custodian enough time to get the water off the floor. When they were done, they went back to training.

Meanwhile, Amelia went inside the igloo, still angry about what happened in the training center. She didn't want to be reminded about her mother.

"Fucking dad. Reminding me about mom. Who fucking cares about feelings?" She muttered angrily.

"I don't need to control my emotions. They're for people that can't handle the world and how shitty it is."

She kept telling herself this as she made her way to her room. When she got in, she closed the door, and saw herself in a mirror. She had a sad glance at her reflection, then tears started to form.

"I hate you. You make me sick. Why are you still here?"

As expected, she got no response from her reflection, for she would obviously need to speak for a response to occur. She clenched her fists as more tears started streaming downward.

**_"WELL?! ANSWER ME!! WHY ARE YOU STILL HERE?!"_**

Her roars went unanswered. She went feral and kept punching the mirror over and over until it was nothing but shattered remnants of ice. She breathed heavily as she reformed the ice mirror, and she went to her room and to her bed, softly crying to herself.

"I miss you, mama. Please come back."

She stayed there while waiting for Jeremiah and Jonah, not knowing Alabaster still kept tabs on her. The wizard lord was somewhat worried for Amelia now, knowing that she possessed a self-hatred that started to fester within her.

"Well, I tried to reach her on my own, but... she's more stubborn than I thought." He said aloud to himself.

"I think it's time to bring her father and brother into this."

Alabaster retreated to his spire, trying to figure out what to do next. It was clear what needed to happen, but it seemed that Amelia kept her emotions locked up for so long, she would need a serious jarring just to get them to come out, a task that wasn't going to be easy at all, even with help.


	7. Chapter 6

The Ice Empress: Chapter 6

While Amelia was at home by herself, everyone that was still at the training center went back inside. No one wanted to talk about how powerful Amelia was, and they certainly didn't want to remember that they nearly got frozen to death. Jeremiah was rather shaken at Amelia's behavior. He knew Amelia could be that way, but he hadn't seen such violent potential from her for a long time. Certainly a harrowing experience for anyone that got involved with her. Then he remembered Sarah, and he walked to her.

"So... what was that about earlier?" He asked the druid.

"Oh. That. Well, I'm gay. And I came out to your daughter. But I guess everyone else knows now, so there's really no other way for me to say it, is there?" Replied Sarah.

"No, I suppose not. But still, she's never really been interested like that."

"I know. And I'm okay with that. I'm just glad she's okay. Or at least I hope so."

Jeremiah looked toward the door Amelia walked through, and he turned away while trying to focus on training the monkeys.

"Alright. Everybody, let's move."

Everyone went back to their training as scheduled. About 2 hours later, after training was done, Jeremiah and Jonah made their way back to the igloo they lived in. But as Jeremiah reached the doorknob, he heard a voice.

"Mr. Lancaster-Sandoval." The voice said.

Jeremiah quickly turned around, only to find the wizard lord looking right at him.

"Who... who are you?" Jeremiah asked, keeping his guard up.

"I am the wizard lord your daughter spoke of. You, however, may refer to me as Alabaster Lenquist. But my friends call me 'static flare'."

"What is your reason for being near my home so late?"

"I need a word with you and your son. It's about Amelia."

"Oh. Well, I suppose I can let you in for a talk."

Jeremiah opened the door amd invited Alabaster inside. As they all came in, Jeremiah went to the kitchen to make himself some hot tea. Jonah sat down in the living room, keeping his arms crossed.

"No need to be suspicious of me. I only wish to talk." Alabaster said, noticng Jonah's expression.

"Why shouldn't I be? You eat people, don't you?" Asked a cautious Jonah.

"Only the most wicked, Jonah. Only the most wicked."

"How do you know my name?"

"I know a lot of people's names. Yours is simply one of the great many I know of."

"And you say I have nothing to fear?"

"Not unless you're a direct threat to me."

"And who's to say dad and Amelia aren't?"

"I have no intention of harming those who have not done the same to me."

"Jonah, stop questioning the man. If he wanted to hurt us, he would've already, wouldn't he?" Requested Jeremiah from the kitchen.

Jonah pouted and looked away, putting down his arms.

"Nevermind. Sorry, sir." Apologized Jonah.

"Quite all right. Though you DID bring up a good point. Your father and Amelia probably would have been a direct threat to me, if I wasn't aware of your family's existence."

Jonah completely let down his guard, believing Alabaster was no more a threat than Amelia was. About eight minutes later, Jeremiah came in with a few tea cups and poured tea in them. Alabaster levitated one to his mouth, and set the cup down.

"So, what about my daughter brings you here, Alabaster?" Jeremiah asked, taking a sip of his tea.

Alabaster said nothing until Jeremiah finished drinking. The elder ice monkey breathed out a sigh, and his breath showed in the form of steam. The wizard lord snickered at the sight.

"What's so funny?"

"An ice monkey that likes hot tea. You must certainly know your way around your powers, Jeremiah." Alabaster commented, taking a full swig of his drink.

"Anyway, it's your _daughter's_ powers, sir. I noticed she has trouble controlling them. To make things worse, she has even more trouble controlling her emotions. Her powers are linked to her emotional state, and as it appears, her emotional state is extremely unpredictable. Only an ice monkey with such potential and no control over them can cause such alterations to the weather and temperature. She is incredibly powerful, but because she's an emotional wreck, it's impossible for her to control them. The only arguable reason I can think of is... she blames herself for Rosalyn's death. She feels as if she caused it because she was so ungrateful to have her mother when she was alive, and she hasn't accepted that Rosalyn is the one who made her choice, and Amelia had no influence on her decision whatsoever."

"So that's why she's been kinder and more tolerable afterwards? To make it up to my winter rose?"

"Yes. I'm afraid she might believe that if she's good now, maybe her mother will come back to life. Unfortunately, that is no longer possible."

"I know. I still miss her everyday. But I can't just stay in the past. My children need me."

"Yes. They do. Amelia does need you, and she needs Jonah as well, no matter how little she's willing to admit it."

"What is it that I must do for her?"

"She needs to get these feelings out somehow. I don't know how you can do it, but she must be allowed to properly grieve, and she can't do that because she's simply too stubborn to do it without help. Chances are you and Jonah are her only arguable channel toward that goal."

"I'll... I'll do what I can. But...my memory isn't what it used to be after that day. I'm pretty sure I'll forget why Amelia's acting like this."

"Not on your own. That's where I come in. You'll need to forget my theory, for it may only be that: a theory. Now, stare into my eyes, both of you."

Jeremiah and Jonah did just that. Then Alabaster performed a spell that erased the event from their minds. They snapped out of it shortly after.

"Hmm? What were we just talking about?" Jonah asked, somewhat dazed from the spell.

"Yes. Why did you have to talk about my daughter?" Jeremiah asked, having no memory of what transpired.

"I was simply telling you to keep an eye on your daughter. A precious thing, she is. Just a mite worried her powers might be more than she can handle on her own."

"Well, of course they are! A special one, she is! My little snowflake is pretty tough with her ice. I'll bet she can mop the floor with anyone!"

"Oh, I wouldn't say that. I'm certain she just needs to control them better."

"She got herself kicked out of training for the next two weeks, so I can't get her to do that!"

"Well, just talk to her. I'm sure she could use the company."

"No. She won't listen to me. No, the best thing I can do is simply make sure she doesn't act up like this again, because if she does, she's grounded for two months."

"Whatever you say, 'J-bird'. Whatever you say."

"Right. Well, I think we've said what we need to say. Good night, Alabaster."

"Good night, my dear ice monkeys. I shall return. That is, if I don't keep any tabs on the lot of you."

Alabaster took his leave, smiling placcidly as he made his way back to his spire. **_Good luck, all. You'll need it now more than ever, for the MOABs will arrive and threaten the infrastructure of our quaint town._** Those words echoed through Alabaster's mind, and the fauna and flora reacted as if they heard his unspoken message. Then he went inside and retired for the night.

The next morning, Amelia woke up, but she was still angry about yesterday. She waddled her way through the kitchen in a half-sleep haze. She was waking up, but she was in no mood to be around anyone. She grabbed herself something to eat, and she sat down next to Jonah.

"Why? Just...why?" She grumbled.

"What's wrong, sis?" Jonah asked with his mouth full.

"Why is it that you can control your powers, but I can't?"

"Maybe you got baggage that you need to let go of or something. I don't know."

Amelia stared at Jonah with a look of evil in her eyes.

"Exactly. YOU DON'T KNOW. YOU **_CAN'T_** KNOW! **_SO DON'T FUCKING TELL ME WHAT YOU THINK IS WRONG WITH ME!_**"

"Please cool your jets. No pun intended."

"Ice powers are shit, Jonah. I hate having these fucking ice powers and no way to control them!"

"You CAN control them! What you need to do is calm down first! Your powers will sort the rest out if you focus enough."

"That does nothing, Jonah! I need real help, not just words!"

"Amelia, pipe down in there! It's 7 in the morning!" Jeremiah yelled in the other room.

Amelia loudly groaned and pushed away her food. Then she marched upstairs to get her stuff and head out the door.

"I'm going to school, dad! I will be back!" She angrily informed.

"Not with that temper, you're not!" Jeremiah protested.

"What's going on with your mouth, young lady?"

"You wanna know so bad? I HATE MY ICE POWERS! THAT'S WHAT'S GOING ON! NOW, I'M GOING TO SCHOOL, AND THAT'S FINAL!"

**_"YOU STOP RIGHT NOW, OR YOU'RE GROUNDED!"_**

Amelia was so angry, she refused to listen to her father, storming off to school with a rage that only made her ice powers more potent as she headed to school with a super cold aura surrounding her. The plants and animals seemed to make way for her anger as she trekked toward the school grounds. Today was off to a very bad start, and it would only get worse. That proved to be true the second she got inside the building. Every last classroom and hallway felt Amelia's arctic gale throughout the school, forcing the entire building to turn on the heat. She made her way to her locker where Sarah also was.

"Um, Amelia, are you okay?" She asked, worried about her.

"Fuck, no. I'm beyond pissed off." Amelia replied bluntly.

"Right. I'll just leave you alone. Sorry."

Sarah walked off, giving Amelia some much needed space. She was getting worried for her ice monkey friend, but she knew she couldn't do anything. As Amelia finished getting her books, RJ bumped into her by accident, causing him to drop his books.

"Watch where you going, dumbass!" She spat harshly.

"Sorry! I didn't see... whoa. Amelia, what's wrong?" RJ asked, noticing her angered and tired look.

"Nothing, you dunce. Now get out of my way."

"No. I wanna know what's wrong so-"

**_"YOU DON'T NEED TO FUCKING KNOW, YOU IDIOT! NOW LEAVE ME ALONE!"_**

RJ was tired of the attitude he was getting from Amelia. He decided to stand up for himself for a change.

"Why are you always like this to me?! I've been trying like crazy to make amends with you, but **ALL YOU DO IS PUSH ME AWAY BEFORE I MAKE ANY PROGRESS!** What's wrong with you?!"

"The fact that I have to deal with idiots who tell me to be honest with my emotions!"

"Well, maybe you should! That way you wouldn't have so many regrets over your dead mother! She'd be appalled by the way you're acting right now!"

RJ accidentally struck a chord in Amelia the second he said that. Bad move, especially since everything was starting to ice over in the hallway they were standing in.

"What. Did. You. Say. About. My. Mother?" She asked, ready to go berserk.

"I said she would be ashamed of how you're acting. The Sun God knows you're not, so do your mom a favor, and stop being so nasty to everyone!"

Those words RJ yelled out was the final nail in the coffin. Amelia lost it and punched RJ in the face as hard as she could. That punch sent the super monkey into the wall.

"Ow! That hurt! Wait. That HURT. But that could only mean... oh no."

By the time he realized his mistake, it was too late. The ice that formed on the wall he was smacked into extended outward and brought him toward Amelia, who only stood there, shocked at what she just did. RJ was scared of her now. There was no more doubt about it.

"Amelia... why? Tell me why." He whimpered as he floated within her gaze.

Amelia didn't respond; she just looked at her hands with a horrified expression. _Dear Sun God, what have I done_, she thought. Then another thought crossed her head. _Don't stop there. Grab onto him and beat him in front of everyone. He insulted you and brought your poor mother into this, so he asked for it at this point._ She clenched her fists and returned her gaze to RJ, feeling the anger within her boil. Everyone else who saw it walked away awkwardly. Theo and Ray caught this act of violence and called the police. Then Ray grabbed Sarah as he was running and told her to call Amelia's father. The druid did so quickly, and Jeremiah made a mad dash to the school, alongside the police.

"Oh, no. Amelia...I'm sorry." RJ said, floating away from her as he noticed her rage.

Amelia finally lost her temper and unleashed it on RJ. She started screeching madly and landed punch after punch on his face over and over, and she kept yanking out of the air, throwing him in the ground, and kicking him repeatedly. Her screeching got much worse as she kept beating him in front of everyone. Blow after blow, she lost more and more control of her rational mind, and she kept going and going. Then another thought came to her: **_KEEP BEATING HIM! KILL HIM! THIS IS WHAT YOU CAN DO! NO MORE MERCY FOR THIS PIECE OF SHIT!_** She desperately screamed at herself to stop, for even she felt sorry for what she was doing to RJ. **_No, no, stop it! Please! I don't wanna do this! I don't wanna actually kill somebody! Please! No more! STOP!_** And then, as if her body finally got the message, she stopped. By the time she saw what she did, RJ had bruises on his face, a blackened eye, and a broken nose. She was horrified even more by what she did, and she covered her mouth as if to keep herself from speaking.

"RJ...I...I'm so sorry." She ebbed.

"No. I'm sorry." He said before crawling away crying.

Amelia held herself, trying to grasp what she did to RJ as the police and her father showed up. About thirty minutes later, she was taken to the principal's office. Her father, the police and RJ were inside as well.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Lancaster-Sandoval. Your daughter's behavior is unacceptable. Starting today, she is to be suspended for the next two weeks." Said the principal.

"She's lucky Randall has declined to press charges against her."

"Not THAT lucky." He said in a low voice filled to the brim with anger.

"I'm sorry this happened, madam. Believe me, she is NOT getting off scot free."

"Understandable. Good bye, Mr. Lancaster-Sandoval."

Jeremiah and Amelia were escorted of the school grounds. Then as he and Amelia got back home, he became furious.

"WHAT ON EARTH MADE YOU THINK IT WAS ALRIGHT FOR YOU TO DO THAT AT SCHOOL?!" He yelled.

"RJ WAS TALKING ABOUT MOM, DAD!" Amelia shouted back.

"THAT DOESN'T WARRANT A BEATING AT SCHOOL, YOUNG LADY!"

"AND HOW WOULD YOU KNOW WHAT IT WARRANTS, DAD?!"

"BECAUSE I KNOW HOW TO CONTROL MY EMOTIONS IN PUBLIC, UNLIKE YOU!"

"I DON'T NEED TO CONTROL THEM! RJ WAS TALKING SHIT ABOUT MOM, AND I DIDN'T WANT HIM TO GET AWAY WITH IT!"

"WE'RE ALL HURTING FROM YOUR MOTHER'S LOSS, AMELIA! SEEMINGLY EVERYONE BUT YOU! YOU NEED TO STOP HANGING ONTO THE PAST, AND STA-"

**_"SHUT THE FUCK UP, DAD! DO YOU REALLY THINK YOU'RE THE ONLY ONE THAT MISSES MOM?! MOM IS DEAD! SHE IS NEVER COMING BACK! JONAH AND I LOVED HER, DAD! SHE WAS THE BEST MOM I EVER HAD, AND NOW SHE'S GONE!"_**

And just like that, Amelia was finally letting every last one of her emotions come out in an instant. All the pain from losing her mother, all the regrets of her behavior, it spilled out in one great deluge of intensity as her powers became so out of control, the igloo they were currently inside was being covered in snow. Then Jeremiah noticed something: while she was yelling, she was crying. She was angry, but she was also sad beyond measure.

"EVER SINCE I WAS EIGHT FUCKING YEARS OLD, I FELT A PAIN THAT WILL NEVER GO AWAY! DO YOU KNOW HOW HARD IT IS, KNOWING THAT YOUR MOM FUCKING DIED TO PROTECT YOU?! TO ALWAYS THINK IT'S YOUR FAULT SHE'S DEAD?!"

Amelia was finally bringing her emotions to light, and she quieted herself a little.

"I... I keep thinking about what I said and did to her when she was alive! All those times I talked badly to and about her... I WISH I COULD JUST TAKE IT ALL BACK AND TELL MOM 'I LOVE YOU' ONE LAST TIME!"

As Jeremiah was hearing his daughter's rant, he finally put all the pieces together. _Dear Sun God_, he thought. _She blames herself... for Rosalyn's death? What have I done? I've been so hard on her... for all the wrong reasons. My little snowflake... I'm so sorry._ As Amelia's tirade went on, the snow around the igloo stopped completely. In fact, there was no longer a temperature displacement either as she kept crying.

"DON'T YOU UNDERSTAND?! I LIVE WITH REGRET FOR THE WAY I ACTED WHEN MOM WAS ALIVE! I DIDN'T EVEN THINK ABOUT HER DYING BEING ABLE TO MAKE ME STOP BEING A BITCH! I DIDN'T REALIZE HOW IMPORTANT SHE WAS UNTIL SHE WAS FUCKING DEAD! And now, all I can think about is how much my mom just wanted to hear her little girl say those sweet words to her. And the worst part is... SHE NEVER GOT TO HEAR THEM, AND NOW SHE NEVER WILL! And it's all because I was such an ungrateful little child! IT HURTS SO MUCH! I...I..."

Amelia stopped trying to hold her tears back. She fell to the floor, crying loudly and screeching in soul-crushing despair. She couldn't hold back anymore. The guilt of the past caught up to her and utterly decimated her. She tried to look up to her father for a moment. She stood up, still crying.

"Dad, please leave. I just... wanna be left alone..."

Jeremiah left the room with a heavy heart, thinking he failed as a father.

"Amelia, I know it might not mean much at this point, but... I'm sorry." He said before he was out of earshot.

Amelia said nothing. She simply went upstairs and continued weeping to herself. She wanted to be alone, and she got it. She would need some time to recover from what happened, so solidarity seemed to be the option that worked


	8. Chapter 7

The Ice Empress: Chapter 7

After Amelia's rant to her father, it was clear that she blamed herself for her mother's death. Despite her best efforts to not show her sadness, she was no longer able hold back and let loose her contempt upon herself and her father. Jeremiah was taken aback, and he left her alone for a while.

Later that day, Jonah came back home to feel an uncomfortable silence. Jeremiah was upstairs in his bedroom, and Amelia was up in hers, facing the wall in her bed. She was still sniffling, having cried quite a bit while Jonah was gone. He wanted to cheer her up, but due to her sadness being based around her mother, there was nothing to say. He left her alone as well.

For two weeks, Amelia occasionally went downstairs to eat alone, but that only happened once a day. She remained upstairs in her bed the rest of the time, being completely silent to everyone. Even when Jeremiah came to check up on her, all he got were either gestures away from him or yes or no movements of her head. He felt guilty about what was said. That much was apparent.

Finally, she was allowed to go back to school one morning.

"Snowflake, it's time for school. You have to get up." He said quietly.

Amelia said nothing as she got ready for school. She didn't bother eating before she left; she felt like she didn't want to anyway. As she got into the school, she was met with worried looks. Everyone noticed something scary about her: her eyes that were once filled to the brim with life became completely empty. Amelia shuffled to her locker, seemingly emotionless. Then RJ appeared behind her, trying to act tough.

"Amelia. We've got a score to settle. You started that fight two weeks ago. Now, I'm gonna finish it!" He said, grabbing onto Amelia in an attempt to scare her.

He then got his hand around her neck, appearing to be ready to snap it.

"Time to die."

"Good. I deserve as much. I'd rather be dead, anyway." Amelia ebbed, losing whatever will to live she had left.

RJ was instantly scared by her lack of willpower. He relented.

"Wait. Amelia. I don't real-"

"Just shut up and kill me already. Put me out of my misery, please."

Amelia started crying.

"Amelia, please. You have to know that I don't really want you to die."

"So? Not like I have a reason to live, anyway."

As Amelia cried harder, everyone, especially RJ and Sarah, who was watching from her locker, expected the temperature to drop at an alarming rate. However, despite the ice monkey showing her emotions, nothing happened.

"Whoa. No cold?" Sarah said in a questioning manner.

Then she saw Amelia's abysmal state and got worried for her.

"Amelia. I gotta talk to her."

Sarah walked straight to Amelia as RJ let go of her completely. Then the druid placed her hand on Amelia's shoulder.

"Amelia, what's wrong?" She asked, staring into the vast emptiness that could only be described as Amelia's eyes.

"Everything. I need to go to class." Amelia said as she walked away.

"Hey, wait. Don't you wanna talk?"

"Does it even matter?"

"Yes. About two weeks ago... I'm sorry I had to call your dad. I was scared."

"It's fine. I deserved it, anyway."

"No. Also, RJ had no right to bring your mom into it. It was uncalled for."

"Who even cares? Life sucks ass."

"Amelia, please."

"Fuck it."

Amelia pulled Sarah to her and kissed her right on the lips. Then she pulled herself off.

"There. Now you can stop thinking about what it would be like to do that with me."

"I...thank you?"

"Yeah. So you really are gay?"

"Yeah. I am."

"Fine by me. You're still my friend, so it doesn't matter to me anymore."

"Awesome?"

"Good. Now I have to go."

Amelia walked to her class with her books in her hand. As she sat down, everyone in the room was expecting to freeze to death. But instead, they got to see Amelia's empty eyes as she made her way to the desk. They were all scared for her. Normally, she would be loud and rowdy. But right then and there, she was quiet and reserved.

"Hey, Amelia. You okay?" Asked Ray, due to him being in her first class.

"No. I'm not." Replied Amelia.

"What's wrong?"

"I'm... empty inside. Being me right now is misery. Nothing but pain and regret from how I acted towards my mother when she was alive. And worst of all, I have to let you guys see me like this. Truly a way to ruin anyone's perfect day."

"You're being way too harsh on yourself, Amelia. It sounds like you want to kill yourself."

"Oh, well I'm sorry that I **_do_** want to die. I feel like shit right now, and I can't feel anything good anymore."

"Is there any way I can help you stop talking like that?"

"Well, if you're lucky enough, someone might try to bury me alive or beat me to death the second I get out of this room. Or even just throw me in a dark room and leave me to rot. So, **_NO._**"

"Yeah. You need help."

"No, I need to die. There's a difference."

"You don't have to die, Amelia. You're looking for a permanent solution to a temporary problem."

"The fact that my mom basically died to protect my ungrateful self is not a temporary problem. It's permanent. I just wanna talk to her one more time and tell her 'I love you'. I know it's too much to ask, so I won't bother."

"Amelia, come on. You can't just keep thinking about what you cou-"

"Will you please just stop, Ray?! I'm a terrible daughter. I couldn't treat my mom right when she was alive, and I just now start telling the truth about how much I miss her? What kind of daughter never even tells her mom how much she loves her?"

"Well, yeah, you might not act the way you're suppo-"

"Just leave me alone, please."

Amelia set her head down, trying to become as invisible as possible. Ray saw how easily Amelia just gave up on herself. He went out of the classroom and grabbed Sarah and RJ.

"Ray, what are you doing?" Sarah asked as she was being dragged.

"Yeah, class isn't starting for the next 30 minutes." Agreed RJ.

"**_AMELIA NEEDS YOU. NOW."_** Ray said, quickly making his way back to his class.

He practically threw both the druid and super monkey into the classroom, and there they saw Amelia crying. Again, they all expected the temperature to change, but nothing happened, even when they got close to Amelia.

"Wow. You're really taking it hard, huh?" Asked Sarah.

Amelia didn't bother to respond. She just kept crying.

"She won't even answer me now."

Sarah and RJ pulled up chairs and sat next to her. Sarah held onto Amelia, intending to give her a shoulder to cry on.

"Amelia. Come here."

Sarah held onto Amelia to let her cry it out. Amelia could feel the squeeze she was getting.

"Hey. What are you doing?" Asked the ice monkey.

"I'm sorry. About your mom. I'm sure she was a wonderful mom."

Amelia was touched by how gentle Sarah was being with her emotions. Amelia buried her face on her shoulder. RJ joined in the hug, too.

"I'm sorry, Amelia. Really, I am." Said RJ.

"I miss her so much. I just wanna tell her how sorry I am." Amelia muffled.

She continued crying, this time, switching to RJ's shoulder, and she buried her face to muffle her whimpers again.

"It hurts. Seeing my friend like this."

"RJ, I'm sorry about... two weeks ago."

"It's okay. I deserved it. Besides, my dad was a dick to me about it. Said I was basically a woman. Alabaster is gonna have the feast of his life with my dad."

Amelia cheered up a little. Not a lot, but enough to pull herself out of RJ's fur.

"Yeah. He is."

"Yeah. You gonna be okay?"

"No."

"Neither am I."

"Yeah. Hey, did I give you scars or any lasting injuries?"

"No. I'm a super monkey. We heal better than everybody else. However, there are limits to what we can heal from."

"Hope I'm not one of those limits."

"No. By the time dad noticed I got beat up, all I had was a black eye and a still bleeding, yet no longer broken, nose."

Amelia let out a cautious smile.

"Hey. Did you... mean what you said about me being your friend?"

"Yeah. I may go both ways, but that doesn't mean I can't be your friend. Besides, I burned that bridge with you, so the only direction to move is forward."

"Yeah. You set that thing ablaze. It was so spectacular, I bet Gwendolin would've enjoyed watching it burn into oblivion."

RJ stiffled a laugh.

"Yeah, I'll bet."

Amelia kept the smile she had, only it was genuine.

"So, about your dad. Sorry you have such a shitty one, RJ. And sorry about threatening to tell people about him. That was a shitty thing to do."

"Not your fault my dad's abusive and sexist."

"So you admit it. Your dad's a piece of shit."

"He is, but I don't just tell him that because of what he could do to me."

"Oi. He must care a little bit. No person's THAT heartless, right?"

Amelia started using her natural accent, and RJ didn't bother mentioning it. Everyone else in the room did, though, and they left the room to leave Amelia and company alone, seeing the light in Amelia's eyes return.

"Indeed, they aren't, but we're not talking about a person."

"No. I suppose not. What kind of man talks so harshly about his own son and calls him a woman because he's sensitive?"

"I don't know."

"Right."

Amelia sat up at her desk, feeling...not better, but less alone.

"Hey. Sarah, RJ, thanks for being my friends."

Sarah and RJ smiled warmly for Amelia, happy she was back with them.

"I guess this means I can't be so bitchy to you anymore, doesn't it, RJ?"

"Yeah. And don't tell me how bad I am anymore. Because you're not perfect, either."

"I know. But at least I know Alabaster was right. I DO need to work on myself. I do need help."

"You finally admit it. How nice." Said Ray.

"Yeah. All this talking about my feelings is draining me. But at least I'm not turning people into popsicles."

"That's always a plus." Sarah said, remembering how she almost got frozen by Amelia.

"Yeah. And sorry about almost freezing you to death, Sarah."

"You lost control of your powers, Amelia. Why would I still be angry about that?"

"Well, I figured tha-"

"Nevermind. I am a little pissed still, but at least I know you didn't mean it."

"I'd be angry too, Sarah. At this point, I'd say I had it coming. But why'd my dad have to drag me out of school like that?"

"Look. Your dad might be too harsh sometimes, but he loves you, and he only wants you to be a better person."

"He does?"

"Of course. You didn't see the look on his face, but he was actually scared shitless. He was super worried about you."

"He was?"

"Of course. He doesn't want you to be one of those monkeys who have to steal and kill to keep themselves from going six feet under. And that's what Alabaster wants too."

"Wow. Never knew Alabaster cared."

"Of course I do." Alabaster said, suddenly appearing in front of Amelia with no warning at all.

Amelia yelped, and she kept her mouth covered as she saw the wizard lord himself.

"How much did you hear?" She asked

"Everything. And someone else is hear to see you."

Alabaster pulled off a cloak and revealed Jeremiah. Amelia was scared.

"Uh, dad, how much did you hear?"

"I heard enough." Jeremiah said, approaching Amelia.

"Oh no. Listen, dad. I can explain."

Jeremiah held up his hand to Amelia, as if to say "that's quite enough".

"Amelia, you know I love you, right?"

"Well, yeah, I do, but...aren't you...ashamed of me?"

"Why would I be? You're my daughter. I could never be ashamed of you. Maybe disappointed, but never ashamed."

"Well, you're right to be. The way I've been acting-"

"DON'T. I know you meant well."

"Look. Dad, I wanna get better, too. I do."

"I know you do. You see, we're not so different, are we?"

"Yeah. I guess not."

Amelia got up to face her father and hugged him.

"Hey dad, I know I never really said this before, but... I love you, dad."

"I love you too, snowflake."

Amelia got her hug returned by her father, who happily embraced her as a tear came to his eye.

"I...I miss mom. I wish I could talk to her and tell her 'I love her'. She deserved to hear it, and...I'm... pretty sure I'm why she died."

"No. No, she made that choice completely on her own."

"Oh. How did she go out?"

"Her own powers. She unleashed them to the fullest to protect us all. Ended up freezing herself to death, she did. Least she managed to see us one more time before she left us."

Amelia felt the guilt of the past again, but instead of hiding it, she let it out.

"Dad, I'm sorry."

"What for, snowflake?"

"Just... everything. You were right. I can't just stay in the past. I kept thinking that maybe if I was good, mom would come back. But that'll never happen. She's gone. She's in a better place. I just... hope I get to see her again someday."

"You will, snowflake. You will."

Amelia rested on her father's chest, feeling at home. She was finally starting to accept the fact that her mother was gone, and despite how bad she still felt, she was finally able to keep going.

"So, I got some school work to do. I'll see ya at home, okay?"

Jeremiah nodded his head in approval, seeing the light in Amelia's eyes start to return.

"Alright. You hit those books today, sweetheart."

Jeremiah left the room, and walked out of the school.

"Alabaster. Thank you. I get it now. It's time for me to move on now."

"You finally understand. How nice." Said Alabaster.

"But remember: just because she's gone doesn't mean you have to forget. Keep your mother in your memories. Just remember that she's still here within you. In that sense, she never left."

"I...yeah. I'll try to remember that."

Alabaster teleported out of the school and back to his spire.

"One less issue, and one more person for the cause. Now maybe they can all survive the invasion." He said, pulling out a book to read.

Back at the school, everyone that left the room came back inside about ten minutes before class was in session.

"So, you all better in the head now?" Asked Sarah.

"No, but now I'm not a whimpering mess. I feel a little better. I guess talking things out does work sometimes." Amelia replied in her accent.

"There's the voice I like to hear. So, you gonna show up for training?"

"No. Gwendolin said three weeks, so I still can't do that."

"Then we're skipping, too."

"No, you're not. I might deserve that punishment, but you didn't do anything."

"Please. I can get in trouble all by myself."

"I'm saying don't do something stupid, like I did."

"It was an accident. I'm sure if I explain to Gwendolin, she'll reduce your sentence and let you come back."

"Yeah, if you don't seduce her."

"I don't think that chica likes me that much."

"Yeah. I know. All I know is you're free to try. But until then, see ya later, Sarah."

"Yeah. I better get going. I'm gonna be late for class if I stay here much longer."

Sarah and RJ took their leave, going to their classroom that was separate from Amelia's, yet together with each other.

After the whole situation with Amelia, things were starting to look up for her and everyone else for a time. She was finally starting to get control of her powers, and the school no longer needed to spend extra money on heating, although they still kept the extra heaters at the ready, for they knew about Amelia's power. Now that "the ice empress" had her train of thought back, it was time for her to exercise her rule.


	9. Chapter 8

The Ice Empress: Chapter 8

About two weeks later, Amelia was gaining a little more control over her powers. The evidence: the temperature no longer dropped very sharply if she got angry. She did get angry on occasion still, but the temperature displacement was only enough to feel it, not become lethal. Things were going well with her training.

One day when she was at the training center, she and RJ were teamed up with Theo. Gwendolin was the one that picked the teams, and she felt it would be a good way for Amelia to work past her previous troubles after learning about what happened in the school from Sarah.

"Alright. You're in your team, so here's the deal." Gwendolin started.

"We're going to see how many rounds you all can last without letting the red bloon equivalent of 40 go past that line at the end of the course. Also, just to make sure you guys have a challenge, you got something to block your sight. No, you can't move out of the spot you pick."

"Damn. Well, can we at least ha-"

Suddenly, a loud klaxon roared throughout the center, interrupting Amelia. Gwendolin was immediately taken off guard, but as she heard the siren, she knew what had to happen now.

"Holy shit. It's time." Said the pyromaniac.

**_"EVERYBODY HEAD OUTSIDE, AND PREPARE FOR BATTLE! THIS IS NOT A DRILL! REPEAT: THIS IS NOT A DRILL!"_**

Everyone was spooked. They had no idea they would actually have to use their training. Well, actually they did, but not so soon.

"Wait! What's going on?!" Amelia asked, trying to keep calm.

"We've been invaded! Ambushed! In other words, we're getting bent over a fucking barrel!"

"Oh, Sun God, please help us."

"Exactly! Now, outside!"

All the monkeys that were in the center were making their way outside, especially Amelia and company. None of them expected for there to be so many bloons.

**_"HOLY SHIT! THERE'S WAY TOO MANY!"_** RJ screamed, not expecting the town to be flooded with bloons.

**_"BENJAMIN! WHAT DO WE HAVE?!"_** Gwendolin asked, getting her fire gun ready.

**"IT'S FUCKING AWFUL, GWENDOLIN! WE GOT LEADS, CERAMICS, PURPLES! SOME OF THOSE LEADS AND CERAMICS ARE EITHER FORTIFIED, CAMO, REGEN, OR A COMBINATION, AND WE ALSO GOT MOAB-CLASSES APLENTY, ALL HEADING FOR OUR POSITION!" **Benjamin wailed, almost petrified by his scanners.

"WHAT TYPES?!"

**_"M.O.A.Bs, B.F.Bs, Z.O.M.Gs, AND THERE'S EVEN SOME D.D.Ts HEADING OUR WAY!!"_**

"ANY B.A.Ds?!"

"None so far!"

"Good! **_EVERYONE, TODAY WE FIGHT FOR OUR LIVES! LET'S FUCK UP ALL THESE BLOONS!_**"

Gwendolin let out a battle cry and ran toward the packs of ceramics.

"You know what? She's right!" Amelia said, finding her courage.

"What do you mean?! We gotta run!" Jonah said with his tail literally between his legs.

"Jonah! We're not going anywhere but towards those bloons! We've popped bloons before with mom and dad, remember?!"

"That was without the MOABs! THIS IS **_WITH_** THE MOABS!"

"It doesn't matter, Jonah! It's now or never this time. If you wanna run, fine. But me? I pick now. Besides, I bet I can buy you a few minutes to tell dad if I give them something to hunt!"

Jonah was surprised at his sister's willingness to fight. He knew what he had to do. He grabbed Amelia's hand, showing he was on her side.

"If that's what you think, then I can double that time."

Jonah let go of Amelia's hand and recreated his cyrokinetic gun, turning it into a bazooka. His ice armor was also recreated as he made it stronger and sharper, allowing him to pop even a white bloon if it gets close to him.

"Alright everybody! You heard Gwendolin! Deploy!" Commanded Amelia.

Just after she finished saying that command, she ran toward Gwendolin to give her some support. Everyone else ran in and started popping like their lives depended on it, which was actually the truth, especially since MOAB-class bloons were on the way! RJ gave Amelia some cover shots of plasma, causing the bloons to get knocked away from her and Gwendolin.

"Nice shooting, RJ!" Amelia said as she froze a bunch of purple bloons that gave Gwendolin a hard time.

The purple layers snapped off, and Gwendolin started burning them from both ends. She and Amelia shared a nod of trust as a fortified ceramic came for them. Jonah, being as far as he was, shot a large icicle right through it, accidentally stripping the fortification off. Gwendolin was impressed as she saw him shoot down camo ceramics from afar. She even spotted a few regen bloons being stripped of their status by him.

"Your brother's pretty strong! Shame he can't shoot up close!" She admitted.

"That's because he won't wear his fucking glasses!" Amelia added, tearing a lead open and freezing the black bloons inside.

As the battle went on, more monkeys went to the field and popped like crazy. Then came the first of many MOABS.

"Aw shit! Where's dad when you need him?!" Asked Jonah.

As he asked himself that, he noticed the MOAB looking unusually iced over. Then, upon closer inspection, he noticed his father, making the MOAB extremely brittle to the touch. He tore a hole for himself and descended, slowing his fall to the ground. When his feet landed, he ran to Amelia and Jonah.

"DAD! You're here!" Said Amelia.

"You think I'd miss this party?!" Jeremiah asked, grabbing a ceramic and freezing it to its core.

Amelia headbutted it, causing the ceramic to instantly shatter and release two rainbow bloons.

"That's my girl! Now let's show them just how powerful we REALLY are!"

"Hate to break up the reunion, but we got bloons to pop!" Gwendolin said, getting more bloons than she could handle safely.

"That MOAB you damaged was on its last legs, and now we got ceramics on our asses!"

"Aw, fuck!" All three Sandovals said in unison.

The ceramics in question would've gotten to them if Amelia wasn't there. The arctic wind she emitted was slowing them down. Jonah tried to focus his shot, but he couldn't aim. Gwendolin noticed, and she had it with Jonah's persistence on not wearing glasses.

"Alright. Enough of this!"

Gwendolin snatched some glasses out of her pouch, and she forced Jonah to put them on. Jonah resisted, but she got them on anyway. By the time he tried to take them off, he saw a ceramic bloon getting close. He shot it with his gun, and it sprouted icicles everywhere on its surface. Then Jeremiah crushed the ceramic with his hand above his head, and the icicles sprayed outward, causing some zebra and white bloons to get popped.

"Whoa. THAT'S why I should wear glasses?" He asked, amazed at what happened.

"Yes, you fucking dumbass! Gwendolin just gave you the gift of sight! Now use it!" Amelia said as she popped more bloons.

Jonah didn't bother taking off the glasses at this point; his personal vendetta with them was no longer of the utmost concern.

For two seemingly endless hours, more and more bloons, MOAB-class and otherwise, were getting popped mercilessly, and more and more ammunition from the monkeys were being drained from them. The amount of bloons that were invading was dwindling. In fact, they were almost gone from the city they ambushed, but the monkeys weren't ready for the very last one that was coming.

"Yeah! All right! We won!" Sarah yelled, celebrating prematurely.

Amelia saw she was wrong. Dead wrong. All thanks to a colossal blimp, drenched in purple with three propellers.

"You're a dumbass, Sarah." She said, turning Sarah to what she saw.

Sarah stared in disbelief, but she admitted Amelia was right.

"Is...that... the Big Airship of Doom?"

"Yeah. It is."

"Welp, we are fucked royally. No offense to his majesty, of course."

"I'm sure if he heard you right now, he would probably say he didn't take any."

"Whatever. Pretty sure we can't do anything against that thing."

"Might be right. We've exhausted all the ammo we have, and almost no one has enough stamina to take that thing on now."

"Worse yet, we got five more MOABs and BFBs alongside it." Benjamin said, being a bearer of bad news.

"Shit. RJ, can you still shoot plasma, man?"

They turned to RJ, who was feeling such extreme fatigue, he couldn't shoot plasma anymore. He was able to fly, but not at high speeds for now.

"Sorry, guys. Too exhausted. Can't pop anymore." Said the exhausted super monkey.

"Aw, man. That B.A.D. is gonna kill us all. What can we do now?"

No one knew how to answer that question. Even Amelia was struggling to answer it. And then, she remembered was she was told numerous times: she wasn't like normal ice monkeys, she had incredible power. Her father knew she would someday use it. And then, that exact thought came to her. **_I know what to do, _**she said mentally.**_ I know how to stop it. But...dad and Jonah...damn. Oh, well. At least I can go out with style._** She turned to everyone and made herself heard.

**_"EVERYBODY, LISTEN UP! I KNOW WHAT TO DO!"_** She yelled as everyone heard her voice.

"Really?! You know?! Well, what is it?!" Gwendolin asked, trying to get her gun working again.

Amelia looked to her dad and Jonah, confirming again Jeremiah's fear.

"Oh, my Sun God. Amelia, please! Not like our mom!" Jonah pleaded.

**_"NO, SNOWFLAKE! YOU CAN'T! PLEASE!"_** Agreed Jeremiah as tears streamed from his eyes.

Everyone, especially Gwendolin, Sarah, and RJ, sensed the desperation the Sandovals had in their voices.

"Jonah, dad, I'm sorry, but...this is the only thing I can think of now. I don't know any other way."

"No, Amelia! There has to be another! We'll do anything! Just please not like your mother did!"

"WAIT! What do you mean?" Gwendolin asked, setting her weapon down.

All the other monkeys on the field went to the Sandovals, wanting to hear their tale.

"Years ago, I had a wife named Rosalyn. We raised Amelia and Jonah together until she was 8 and he was 10. One day, bloons attacked. It looked grim."

"And then mom admitted a way to stop the bloons. But in exchange..." Continued Amelia.

"...She died." Jonah finished, starting to cry.

"Now, it's happened again. And this is it. THIS is the moment I unleash my true power." Confessed Amelia as she stepped up.

"Sis, please. You don't ha-"

"No, Jonah! I do!"

"Amelia, please! Listen to your brother this time!" Begged Jeremiah.

"Dad, you remember when you said I have a lot of power, and when the time was right, I'd know how to use it? Well...sorry, dad. But I think the time has finally come."

Jeremiah started trembling.

"Amelia, please."

"I'm sorry dad, but this has to happen NOW."

Amelia started crying alongside her family, hugging them one last time.

"Before I die, I just want you and Jonah to know... I love you guys."

"We love you, too." Jonah and Jeremiah said, returning Amelia's last hug.

They all let go of each other for the last time.

"Dad, if I see mom, I'll tell her you said hi, and tell her how much you love her. I promise."

"I know you will, snowflake. Goodbye, Amelia."

"Bye, dad."

Amelia turned away from her father and wiped her tears away, ready to make the ultimate sacrifice.

**_"NOW EVERYBODY, GET INSIDE, AND MAX OUT THE HEATERS! WE'RE ABOUT TO REACH...ABSOLUTE ZERO!"_**

Everybody that was in town made their way into the largest area possible, and they maxed out the heaters, per Amelia's request.

"Good. That's done. **_HEY, BLOONS! COME AND GET ME! I DARE YOU!"_**

As if the last invading MOAB-class bloons heard her, they aimed straight for her. A bad move that only sealed their fate. Amelia created ice chains, shackling all of them, EVEN THE B.A.D., down to her. Then, with a final tear from her eye, she started to use every last ounce of power she had within her.

"Okay, Sun God. Have at me. My soul is prepared, and I await your judgment!"

With those words said, she formed a cocoon of ice, stronger than ever before, and the town became bitterly cold. The blimps were feeling it, and tried to fly away, signaling they were scared of Amelia. Even the biggest couldn't take the cold. As the temperature went to -350 degrees Fahrenheit, Amelia felt the cold finally, and it was painful. She was in so much pain, she couldn't speak. **_Dear Sun God. This is what it's like to freeze to death?! It hurts so much..._**

The pain for Amelia became worse and worse until finally, she caused an explosion of endothermic conditions across the globe. Her outward burst was so extreme, even the farthest and warmest reaches of the planet didn't stand a chance. Amelia essentially caused an ice age and forced the global temperature to drop temporarily by at least 30 degrees Fahrenheit. Her town, however, was much worse. The temperature reached exactly what she promised: ABSOLUTE ZERO. Nothing moved in the town for a minute. Then the blimps came crashing down onto the ground, alongside every last bloon that was inside. Somehow, even the BAD was no match for Amelia, for it was completely and utterly destroyed. The only thing left of it that wasn't shattered was the part of a propeller. Then the temperature finally rose again. Because Amelia forced the drop so quickly and violently, it took thirty minutes for her town to start getting warmer. Everywhere else on the planet, however, climbed back to their original temperatures, with a noticable change, thanks to Amelia's global cooling.

After an hour, the town was finally defrosted completely. Everyone cautiously started coming out of their hiding spot, worried about the outcome. RJ, having recovered from his fatigue, flew around and surveyed the place.

"They're...gone. They're all gone." He confirmed.

"Guys! The bloons are dead! We really DID win this time!"

Everybody poured out of building to see if RJ was right. They all picked up mere scraps of bloon. They all cheered except for Amelia's friends and family. They all ran to her madly, trying to see if she survived.

"Amelia! Can you hear us?!" They all yelled as they made it to her.

Jeremiah and Jonah got to her first, and they tried to check for any sign of life she might have. Then Jeremiah's heart was crushed to pieces. He checked for a pulse, and...he felt nothing. If anything, he felt Amelia's dead body getting warmer. Jeremiah held her corpse to him, sobbing uncontrollably. Jonah cried alongside him, holding his dead sister. RJ, Sarah, Ray and Theo caught up to them.

"Is...is she...?"

Sarah couldn't finish the question. She was horrified by the possibility that her best friend froze herself to death. Then she saw the truth for herself. Amelia did, in fact, die from her attack.

"No...she's...dead. My best friend... she's dead."

Everyone became mortified by what happened. Gwendolin felt the tears coming from her, and she didn't bother wiping them away. She approached the Sandovals.

"Is there a way we can help you get her back?" She asked futily.

"No. Her power as an ice monkey was unique. And now it's died with her." Jeremiah barely ebbed through his tears.

Gwendolin cried harder, thinking she caused Amelia to do this. As an act of morality, her voice wavered as she yelled out to everyone else.

**_"A MOMENT OF SILENCE! TO HONOR OUR FALLEN!"_**

RJ and Sarah cried over Amelia's lifeless body. It's true, she saved everyone from a grisly fate, but in exchange, she took everyone's place. The entire town wept for her silently because of her heroic sacrifice. Nothing was joyous for her family or friends because they lost her, unable to get her back...


	10. Chapter 9

The Ice Empress: Chapter 9

Amelia stirred a little and awakened to find herself in a strange forest. It was filled to the brim with trees that had plenty of vegetation to make a monkey comfortable. She was taken aback by what she was seeing.

"This place is beautiful. But how did I get here?" She asked aloud to herself.

"I brought you here." Said an echoing voice from behind her.

When Amelia turned around, it was none other than the Sun God themself. Amelia pieced everything together quickly.

"Of course. I knew it. I'm dead, aren't I? There's no other way I would see you under normal circumstances."

"You cannot put your entire being into an attack and live to talk about it."

"Correct."

Amelia kneeled and bowed her head to the Sun God, not just in praise, but in humility.

"Please. Rise."

"As you wish, my Lord."

Amelia rose just as she was commanded. Then tears came to her.

"My dear, why are you crying?"

"Because I'm not worthy to be in your presence. If anything, the vengeful monkey deserves their way with me."

"You got that right, you fucking bitch." Said another voice from behind the sun god.

A small portal of darkness appeared, and an entity known as the Vengeful Monkey stepped forth and closed it.

"Of course. If you're here to punish me for my tresspasses, you may do so at your leisure. I'm in no condition to beg you for mercy."

"Normally, you'd be right about that, but it seems like little miss 'ice bitch' decided to melt her cold heart and be good for a change."

"Forgive my wretched mouth for asking, but what are you referring to?"

"Now who's the fucking dumbass? You killed yourself so everyone else could live, dipshit."

"And there it is. Me being dumb as usual and doing something stupid."

"I honesty wish I could say that was the truth, but you did something that was...admittedly very smart."

Amelia was confused. The Vengeful Monkey told her she did something smart, and she didn't know how to take it. At first, she couldn't tell what it was, and then she remembered the ice shackles she placed on the MOAB-class bloons.

"Oh! Now I remember! The ice shackles, right?!"

The Vengeful Monkey pouted and rolled his eyes while nodding, admitting she was correct.

"Of course! That bondage made them way too close to my attack to survive! No wonder they all got destroyed! They DID get destroyed, right?"

"Come with us, Amelia, and we shall show you the truth." Requested the Sun God.

Amelia walked alongside the both of them. Then they came to a door and walked right through it. She saw a utopian palace of marble and nature mixed alongside it in perfect harmony. She was in complete awe as she looked around.

"Permission to complement your aesthetics, Lord?" She asked.

"Please, go on."

"I'm certain you hear this a lot, but this place is pristine! And you sure know how to plant a forest! Nothing but trees and vines to swing off, and fruit aplenty to eat!"

"Thank you. Now let us proceed to my viewing room. It is where I look down on my creation."

They made their way to a room with a table. Not just any table, but a table with what was essentially the blueprint of the entire universe. The Sun God took a look at it and zoomed in on the planet. Then, with the Vengeful Monkey looking over his shoulder, he zoomed in even further to Amelia's town where they saw Jeremiah, Jonah and everyone else crying over Amelia's dead body. Amelia was a little saddened by this. She knew she died, but she never thought she had made such an impact on people.

"Goodness. I did that?"

"Yes. Your final deed is why they are all mourning your death. Your sacrifice, however, was not in vain, for you saved everyone from meeting me."

"You are too kind, my Lord. But...I...I made a promise to my father."

"Yeah, we know all about your sentimental bullshit, which I admit was somewhat touching." Said the Vengeful Monkey.

"She's in that room with the snowflake on the door."

"Wait! She?! You mean...?"

"Yeah. Go ahead."

Amelia raced to the door, and she opened it quickly as she stepped into a blinding light. When the light ceased to pour outward, she saw...her home.

"Whoa. Am I back home now?" She asked herself aloud.

She kept walking and looking around the place, trying to find who she was looking for. And then, she heard it.

"Amelia?" Said a voice.

Amelia looked around for the voice, and when the source made itself visible to her, she saw it was none other than her mother.

"Mom? Is that you?" Amelia asked in her accent.

Rosalyn nodded and cried as she opened her arms to Amelia.

**_"MUMMY! IT IS YOU! I MISSED YOU SO MUCH!"_**

Amelia, overjoyed by what she was seeing, gave her mother a hug so hard, she never wanted to let go. She was so happy she got to see her mother again, and Rosalyn reciprocated her joy to Amelia. Then Amelia started crying.

"Mummy, I'm sorry! I'm so sorry, mummy! For everything!"

"Snowflake, it's okay! I finally got to see you again! I've waiting for years! And look! You look almost exactly like I did when I was your age!" Rosalyn said tearfully in her accent.

"No, mummy! It's not okay! All those things I said and did when you were alive...I wish I could take it all back, mum! I'm so sorry! I...I need you to know. Right now. I love you, mum. I love you so much. Jonah and dad miss you, and they love you, too. Dad loves you so much, mum. He said hi, by the way. And I missed you, too. You're the best mum I ever had."

"I love you too, Amelia. I love you, too."

Both mother and daughter cried it out in their hug, feeling the joys and sorrows of what happened. After five minutes, they finally stopped.

"This is real. This is actually real. I finally get to see you again. I've been so messed up since the day you left us."

"Snowflake, I was there. I was always there! Even death could not keep me away."

"What? How?"

"Because...I was in your heart. Your heart, your father's heart, your brother's heart. Because I was in your hearts, I was still there. I saw everything as you saw it. I felt what you felt, too. The pain of my death was quite visible to you. Wasn't it?"

"Yeah. It was."

Amelia and Rosalyn sat down next to each other, and the Sun God and Vengeful Monkey stepped inside to talk to Amelia.

"You know what the most depressing and tedious part of being a deity's all about?" Asked the Vengeful Monkey.

Amelia said nothing, waiting for a response.

"Recording every memory that occurs, and recovering the ones that have been lost. Every last one! People who make shitty memories for themselves never do it once."

"Their self-destructive proclivities accumulate, and it hurts them and the people they love. Hurts us, too." Added the Sun God.

"How long are gonna keep beating yourself up over something that wasn't even your own fucking fault, huh? If you keep making bad memories for yourself, eventually, you won't have any good ones to keep moving forward from. Ya get what I'm saying?"

Those words from the Vengeful Monkey struck a chord to Amelia. _They're right. Mom didn't die because of me. She...chose this path. Just like I did._ The words echoed within Amelia's mind, and as if they were heard by everyone, Rosalyn confirmed her thoughts.

"Mom, did you hear what I was thinking right now?" She asked.

"We all did." Confirmed the Sun God.

"You know what? I think...I get it now. I've been blaming myself for something that wasn't even my fault. I was angry at myself for no reason at all. I...WHOA!"

Suddenly, Amelia rose into the air, feeling lighter than anything. Then, a dark essence ebbed out of her and into the Vengeful Monkey's hands, who then crushed it.

"And that, Amelia, is how it's done. That's how it's done." Said the Vengeful Monkey.

"What do you mean?"

"As of now, you are absolved of your sins. And now, you are welcome here." The Sun God proudly proclaimed.

Amelia hugged the deity in glee, happy that she could be with her mother. Then she felt a small bit of sadness.

"Wait. About my father and brother."

The Sun God rose is hand as if to tell Amelia she didn't need to say anything else.

"It is okay. Everything has been recorded. Especially with Randall."

"RJ! Oh, powerful Sun God, I-"

"Silence. I will free him from his bondage, and deliver him from his oppression."

"Oh. I see."

"Yes. Now walk with me. We shall bring you home."

Rosalyn took Amelia's arm and walked her with the Sun God and Vengeful Monkey. They all walked into a blinding light, which faded and revealed them to be back on the planet. When this happened, Amelia became unconscious and fell to the ground. The Sun God picked her up and held her within their arms, and they all continued toward her body. When people saw the Sun God and his group, they all gasped. Then they all bowed to the deity, except for Jeremiah, who held Amelia's still lifeless body in his arms.

"Lay your child down to rest."

Jeremiah did just that, and he gave the Sun God enough room to do what they were going to do. He placed Amelia's soul back into her body, and walked backward to reveal Rosalyn. Jeremiah saw his wife, and he cried tears of joy as he saw her again.

"Rosalyn. I...you're here." He said.

Rosalyn nodded to him.

"Thank you for keeping your promise, J-bird. I love you." Said Rosalyn.

"I love you too, my winter rose."

The Sun god knelt to Amelia's forehead, and gave it a kiss. Then the Vengeful Monkey did the same, followed by Rosalyn. Both deities faded out back into their domain, and Rosalyn blew a kiss to Jeremiah before she went back to the afterlife.

Just as they disappeared, a second later, Amelia jerked upward, taking in a deep breah. She started hyperventilating, trying to regulate her breathing. She managed after ten seconds, but she was a little dizzy, and her vision was blurry. She also had a headache.

"Mmph. What happened?" She said, somewhat amnesiac of her experience.

Everyone was shocked. Amelia was alive again. Her friends and family couldn't believe it.

"Sis? Is that you?" Asked Jonah.

"Amelia?" Uttered RJ.

"Snowflake, are you alright?" Asked Jeremiah as he got close to her.

"Where are we? What is this place?" Amelia asked, trying to shake out the cobwebs.

"Amelia, can you remember anything?"

"Trying. Who are you? You look familar. Wait. Don't answer that question. It's all coming back to me, I think."

Then came all the memories before she died. Then...she remembered everything that happened after she died. The Sun God, the Vengeful Monkey, and even seeing her own mother. When the memories finished coming back, she gasped in surprise.

"Mother! Dad, I saw her! I saw mummy! She...I told her, dad. I told her how much you love her. I told her you and Jonah both love her. I told her I love her, too. Oh. I kept my promise. I finally kept it, dad. She knows now."

"I know she knows, snowflake. We all saw her."

"You did?"

"Yeah. Your mom looks kinda like you do." Sarah said, happy that her friend was alive.

"Sarah! Were you crying? For me? Were all of you crying?"

A lot of the monkeys made confiming gestures. RJ and Sarah just hugged Amelia, crying on her shoulders.

"We missed you, Amelia. We really did." RJ said, crying joyfully.

"Oh. Didn't know I mattered that much to you guys."

"Yeah. Also..."

Sarah interrupted herself and slapped Amelia in the face.

"Ow! Sarah, what the fuck?!"

"Don't you ever fucking scare us like that again!"

"Yeah! I had no idea you blamed yourself for mom's death! You could've just told us, Amelia!" Added Jonah.

"Yeah. Sorry. You know me, I'm stubborn like that."

"THAT you can blame on me." Admitted Jeremiah.

"So, you're where I got it from. Never thought it ran in the family. Anyway, let's-whoa."

Amelia felt light-headed and cold for a moment. She shivered visibly and her teeth chattered as she laid back down.

"Amelia! You alright?!"

"C-c-cold. Need t-t-to g-g-g-go home."

Jeremiah immediately started taking her back home, but Alabaster appeared as he turned around.

"Stick next to me, and we'll take her to my place. She's gonna need a gradual burst of heat." He said, teleporting the Sandovals and Amelia's friends to his spire.

After about thirty minutes later, Amelia finally stopped shivering so much. She warmed up enough to speak properly.

"Okay. I think I'm fine now." She said, taking herself out of the cold water bath.

"Good. Now, we've stuck with you no questions asked, but now we all have to know." Theo said, twirling a shuriken and catching it repeatedly.

"Why did you blame yourself for your mom's death? Because you do realize now that you had nothing to do with it, right?"

"Hold up. How do you know about it, Theo? How do all of you know about it?" Amelia asked, keeping a blanket on her shoulders.

"Oh, yeah. You were dead at the time. Your father told us everything. Your pain, your regret, he even mentioned that you were a total bitch when you were younger. He revealed a huge amount about you that we didn't know about until then. He also mentioned that when you went to worship the Sun God, you used to cry every night you went. And that you never misbehaved when you were inside the temple. He was basically seeing both sides of you. One side was the Vengeful Monkey, the other was the Sun God. So why didn't you say anything? You could've told us."

"Because I figured you would hate my guts for it."

Theo stiffled a laugh, but he couldn't hold it in, so he ended up guffawing loudly. Amelia stared at him blankly, only aiming a glance at her dad for a second before turning it back to Theo.

"Hate you?! Please! You're fucking awesome!"

"Uh, no the fuck I'm not."

Amelia made a shocked expression as she forgot her dad was there when she swore.

"Oops. Sorry, dad."

"See? This is why! Now we get to know both sides. That's why you're so awesome!" Said RJ.

"Yeah. My little sister is pretty cool. Literally and figuratively." Said Jonah.

"You're cool, Jonah. And kinda cute."

"Still no, RJ. But I guess you're alright to hang out with."

"So you know that I'm bi? And about my boyfriend in the ninja getup?"

"Yeah. My sister knows when to keep her mouth shut and when to tell people."

"Anything else she tell you?"

"Yeah. We need to talk about your dad. You need to leave his house."

"Yeah. I know."

"You do realize he's an asshole in every meaning of the word, right? Sorry, dad."

"Oh, no, that's an understatement, and you're right to say that, Jonah. As for you, RJ, I know about your father's exploits. I can tell you that he's only helping for people to praise him. The very definition of the word 'vain' would only begin to describe him. He's essentially a puppet for the Vengeful Monkey." Criticized Jeremiah.

"He's no puppet, dad. I don't think even the Vengeful Monkey wants anything to do with him." Said Amelia.

"You got that right too, ingrate." Said a voice.

Everyone but Amelia and Alabaster turned and looked for the source of the voice.

"Nocturnus. Good to see you again." Alabaster said casually.

"Alabaster." Said the now revealed Nocturnus.

"Wait. That's your name? Okay, nevermind. Gotta admit, it's pretty cool." Amelia said, turning to face him.

Everyone, even Alabaster, was shocked with how casual she was being with him.

"Amelia! How are you not afraid of him?!" Jonah angrily asked.

"This is the Vengeful Monkey, not some random super monkey turned dark avatar!"

"You forgot, Jonah."

"You were dead, Amelia! What's there to forget?!"

"Jonah. I WAS dead. But...then I wasn't."

"So what, you saw this guy in the afterlife?"

"Calm down. I'm not here for anyone's souls. I came to...talk." Nocturnus said, floating casually toward them.

"You mean about my asshole of my dad?"

"Yes. Although normally what you said would be considered blasphemous in my eyes, I am willing to admit you are correct, and are therefore pardoned and forgiven." Said the Sun God as he appeared alongside Nocturnus.

Everyone but Amelia and Alabaster gasped and bowed immediately.

"Why aren't you bowing, Amelia? This is our maker right in front of us!" Sarah asked as she was on the ground.

"Rise."

"As you wish, Lord."

Everyone that was bowing stood back up.

"Eternus, good to see you again." Alabaster said, once again casually.

"Any other deities around here with cool names?" Amelia asked jokingly.

Eternus and Nocturnus both laughed at Amelia's question, knowing she was just joking.

"I told you the Sun God has a good sense of humor, Sarah. If he didn't, we wouldn't have the bloonchipper."

"Or sex." Added Eternus.

"Sex is a joke to you, Lord?"

"From what I've seen, it's a joke down here, too."

Amelia burst out laughing at Eternus' statement.

"Funny thing: Ray thinks the same."

"I know. I created him, so why wouldn't I know?"

"Good point, my Lord."

"Now then, everybody in this room's aware of our presence. So, Randall, about your father..." Started Nocturnus.

"If you're here to tell me I'm basically a woman, my dad already cleared that up for me." Said RJ sadly.

**_"YOUR OLD MAN'S FULL OF SHIT, AND HE'S A SUPER MONKEY IN DECLINE. YOU'RE ON THE RISE, BI BOY."_**

"I am?"

"Yeah. But you'll have to make a change. For starters..."

Nocturnus floated toward him and pointed out a scar that didn't fully heal yet on his back, and he revealed it to everyone else.

"What the fuck is this?"

"My dad gave me that scar for bringing home another boy. He was my first boyfriend, and-"

"STOP! THAT'S ENOUGH!"

Nocturnus covered the scar back up, letting it finish its healing process after he used some power on it.

"Listen to me. 'Light bulb' and I have been watching for a while, and we've seen that you can't do much to your father unless we intervene."

Eternus walked over to RJ, pulling Nocturnus off of him.

"Yes. I have seen your father's savage and primitive outlook on the world, and it is so pathetic, not even 'black light' wants him. We believe he is beyond redemption. You have slipped off the path of righteousness, but you found your way back. That is why we wish to aid you. We have come to help deliver you from your opression."

RJ was touched. He was told he strayed from Eternus, but he found out he was repentant, and he was being rewarded. He knelt in tears.

"Thank you, both of you. And thank you, Amelia."

"Yes. That is correct. She did try to ask me to help you, but I knew she was going to."

"Yeah. Hey, Nocturnus?" Inquired Amelia.

"I'd say you're just as good as Eternus."

"Good. Hmph. You tell yourself that." Nocturnus said, feeling somewhat guilty.

"Nah. I'm just the jerk who's willing to give it to you straight."

"Doesn't matter. I wanna help RJ out of this, too."

"Do it then. That's why Eternus and I work together and do each other jobs: to kick more ass together than we can by ourselves."

"Wait. What do you mean 'do each other's jobs'?"

"...We're the same entity. It's just that we separate because we can get more done separately unless there's a big enough threat. I am his strength, and he is my humility. Only when we work together do we become what all of you need."

"Our yin and our yang?"

"Yeah. If strength were all that mattered, RJ's old man would be the perfect mascot for me. If strength were all that mattered, we wouldn't have let you see your mom. If strength were all that mattered...this whole world would be reduced to nothingness."

"So you play an important role in this world."

"Important, yes. Powerful, even more so. Wanted? Well, that's a completely different story. Long story short, you don't wanna do what I do."

"So what you're saying is basically 'embrace both the good and the bad in everything because it's the only way you get the truth'?"

"Look at that. Tried to put it past you, but...you're smarter than I thought."

"I'm smarter than you thought? Nice try. Now, about RJ's dad."

"Yes. Enough idle chit-chat. It is time to remove his super monkey status. And as for you, Alabaster, you have my permission to consume him completely." Permitted Eternus.

"Been a long time since I got to feast upon the essence of a monkey." Alabaster said, getting out a knife and fork, alongside a bib that showed the head of a monkey.

"Excellent. Now, let us make haste."

"Wait!" Pleaded Sarah.

"Amelia didn't tell us, but what happens when you die?"

"Oh. Well, normally, when you die, you die. However, if you were a good person, or even a bad one that repented completely, like Amelia, I take you to a jungle paradise when you awaken in my domain. Then I escort you to your own part of my utopia. If you were bad, but are willing to atone, you will find yourself in the badlands of the afterlife. Most souls go there, and many make it out, managing to get to the jungle I previously mentioned. The ones that don't fall into slumber and reincarnate in the living world. If you're bad, and do not regret your actions despite not wishing to do them again, you die when you die. A permanent cessation of consciousness. The absolute worst monkeys of all...Alabaster deals with them. They not only show no remorse for their actions, they actually enjoy performing such abominable displays. They are eaten by Alabaster, mind, body and soul. There is absolutely no trace of them and no hope for revival at all."

"What about the memories of the worst people?"

"The memories that have been created by them cannot be destroyed, but they cannot be used as a form of revival. Only the ones who are simply in a permanent comatose state or better have some chance of being worthy of revival. The second Alabaster has my permission to feed upon them...their fate is sealed. Nothing will save them. I do not turn back from that judgment, regardless of whatever they may say."

"I get it. They made their choice, and the moment they have to take their punishment, it's too late for repentance."

"Yes. But Amelia. Although I know why you did what you did, I feel I must ask you. I knew you would change your mind and perish from the MOABs to give everyone time to escape and replenish their ammo, but you managed to defy me and accept your fate, not wavering in the slightest. Why were you prepared for Nocturnus to punish you?"

Everyone turned to Amelia, waiting for a response.

"Because I wasn't worthy of your mercy. I'm expendable, at best." Amelia said, believing it to be the truth.

"No one who willingly sacrifices themselves in order to save a mass of innocent people is expendable. No one who will stand up for those who can't do so for themselves is expendable."

For a brief moment, the Sun God showed anger in his eyes.

**_"ANYONE WHO WOULD RATHER RISK INNOCENT LIVES JUST TO LOOK GOOD IS AN ABOMINATION IN MY SIGHT. JUST LIKE RONALD DENSUN-JOHNSON."_**

"With all due respect Lord, if that's RJ's father's name, it's awful."

"I agree. I gave him the name because I knew what he would become after he perfected his powers. And what better way to punish him than giving him a terrible name?"

Eternus turned into Nocturnus for a moment, and vice-versa, confirming that they really were the same person.

"When will more people realize that you, Eternus, my Lord and savior, are love, life, and awesomeness at its finest? Also, why do you and Nocturnus smell so good?"

"Because we do not partake of deodorant that my creations have made for themselves, and the sun cleanses us of our weariness based upon the bloons. Which, I will have all of you know, are also abominations in my sight."

"So we're doing your work?"

"Indeed. Now, we shall plan our methods. That accursed super monkey will no longer be one soon."

As they all gathered around and planned their attack on RJ's father, the mortal monkeys were feeling humbled by Eternus' presence. It was nice to know he was capable of empathizing with his creations. After thirty minutes, the deities were ready to leave. But Nocturnus had one last thing to say.

"By the way, do you know what I do in the afterlife? I make things harder for you if you wind up in the badlands, and if you can't find your way out of there and into Eternus' jungle in ten days time, I punish you based upon your deeds until you black out. That's how you become unconscious in the badlands. I do the same if you've been bad and don't regret your actions, but never do them again. That, however, I can wake you up from, but you wind up in a void when you wake up. At that point, it's just boredom and loneliness. True torture of the mental variety. So if you fuck up and don't repent for it, I will make you pay." He monologued.

After that, they both disappeared from sight.

"Well, I suppose even I learned something from this." Alabaster admitted, sitting down to try to process the information he received.

"Yes. Today we learned just how bad our situation can get if we're total jerks to people." Said Ray.

"Also, I think you're a servant of the Sun God or something."

"Of Eternus and Nocturnus, yes. Why do you think I have so much power? I'm their pet. I died centuries ago. They brought me back and gave me a bit of their power, but in exchange, I serve the both of them. Why do you think I feed on the most wicked monkeys out there?"

"We honestly thought it was some sort of sick thrill. We had no idea it was the ultimate punishment. We're sorry."

"You guys don't have to apologize to me. The only one who should apologize is already doomed to die and stay dead forever."

"So, tonight?"

"No. Tomorrow night. For now, get some rest. We've had quite the eventful day, so some recuperation would be most excellent, don't you think?"

"Yeah. You got the right idea. Dying and coming back to life drained me. I'm going home and going to bed." Amelia said, walking out of the house tiredly.

Her legs started getting weak, and Sarah and RJ helped her out by carrying her all the way. Everyone else went to their homes, too. Jonah and Jeremiah took Amelia out of her friends' hands and brought her to her bed. But before Jeremiah could leave, Amelia grabbed his arm to tell him something.

"Dad. I finally accepted it. I still miss her in the house, but it doesn't hurt as much anymore. Because I know now, without a doubt, she's here in our hearts. In that sense, she never left. And now, she never will. And now that she knows I love her, I think I can rest easy from now on." She declared.

Jeremiah nodded his head in agreement.

"Good night, my little snowflake. Good night." He said, kissing her forehead.

"Good night, father. I love you."

Jeremiah left the room, happy to have Amelia back. As Amelia turned to sleep, her mother appeared and tucked her in as she whispered to her.

"Good night, Amelia." She said softly.

"Good night, mom. I love you."

Rosalyn disappeared back into the afterlife, where she saw Eternus waiting for her.

"So...you'll be watching over her now, right?" Asked the deity.

"Every day, my Lord. Every day."

Eternus nodded his head in approval, giving Rosalyn a thumbs-up. It was nice to know that everything was finally starting to become more peaceful after the events that transpired. It was bad, but things were finally starting to get better. Especially since Amelia would have a meeting to go to when she woke up.


	11. Chapter 10

The Ice Empress: Chapter 10

At about 7:22 am, Amelia woke up to a knock on the front door. She groaned a bit, still feeling the slight fatigue of her revival. Then she stumbled over, barely catching onto her bed to keep herself from falling. All for nothing, for her balance was still a little off, and she landed face first once the covers slipped off. She groaned a little, not just in pain, but in general exhaustion.

"Coming." She weakly mumbled, still somewhat asleep.

She said it for nothing however, for Jeremiah and Jonah were awake, and they answered the front door for her. The elder ice monkey wasn't expecting visitors at that time of day, especially not the royal guards.

"Ah, salutations, royal guardians! To what do I owe your current presence?" Jeremiah asked, keeping his status formal.

"His majesty would like to see your daughter." Replied one of the guards.

Jeremiah was taken aback at what he just heard. _The king wants to see my snowflake? This is bad_, he thought, letting his paternal instincts kick in. Then he led them up to Amelia's room, who just managed to right herself in her sleep-induced haze. She scratched the back of her head as she heard the knock on her door.

"Okay, okay. I'm coming. Give me a second." She said, trying to full awaken as she went for the door.

Once she grabbed the knob, she opened it up, only to find her father and two of the royal guards.

"And I'm dead."

"No. You're not in trouble." Said a guard who was listening to her.

"Oh. Then why are you here?"

"His majesty wanted a word, snowflake." Said Jeremiah.

"Oh. Well, I suppose I ca-"

"Not now." Interrupted a guard.

"At 1pm today, he will be expecting you. In the meantime, you are hereby given a pardon from educational and militaristic obligations, effective immediately and for the rest of the day until midnight."

The guard that elaborated upon the request handed over the pardon to Amelia, and she took it into her hands, carefully reading it.

"Okay. See you then, I suppose."

Amelia went back to bed, but not before setting the pardon on her desk. She flopped into it, but pulled herself into it properly to cover herself and go back to sleep.

"You'll have to forgive her. She had a rough day yesterday." Jonah apologized.

"Yes. Revival from the dead can be quite debilitating, I'm sure. Not that I would know." A guard said before both guards left.

As both the royal guards left the igloo, Jeremiah and Jonah were practically squealing.

"Dad! Were those the crossbow masters you referred to?!" Jonah whispered, trying to keep his voice low for Amelia's sake.

"Those were the ones! I told you they were around!" Jeremiah replied, doing the same.

Both of them did a short cheer before separating and going their own ways for a while.

At noon, Amelia was woken up by Jonah, trying to get her ready to meet the king at 1pm. It took her 45 minutes to get to the castle, but she got herself in her sunday best for the king in time. She waited outside the castle for the last 15 minutes, and the doors opened up.

"Enter, Ms. Sandoval." Said one of the guards.

Amelia said nothing as she stepped forward.

"You too, Mr. Lancaster-Sandoval."

Jeremiah stepped forward as well, but he took Jonah with him, anticipating his required presence. The guard nodded, confirming Jonah was needed. The guards escorted all of them to the king, who was performing a broadcast across the kingdom.

"Attention, all my subjects. At this time, we will have a coronation that will be viewed by all monkeys. Participation is mandatory in the minimal form of viewing, at least from the confines of your current buildings. However, you are all permitted to attend as well. In fact, it will be advised. That is all for now." He announced.

By the time the king was done with his annoucement, the Sandovals were already near his throne. He turned to face them.

"Good. You're here, Amelia."

"Your majesty. It's an honor to be in your presence." Amelia said, bowing to her king.

"Thank you. Now, let us meet the people outside within the next hour."

Amelia and her brother and father waited alongside her, scared of what he would say as the queen came out.

"Good. She has arrived." Said the queen.

"Yes. Come, my dear. Let us prepare for our annoucement."

The king and queen left the throne room, and he used his magic to open the doors. They glowed a royal blue as they yielded to his will, opening up and bringing in the sun. Then one of the servants gave something strange to the queen, who then passed it to the king. He grabbed it with his tail, and hid it underneath his robe.

About an hour later, every last monkey in town, especially Sarah and RJ, showed up per the king's request. There they saw Amelia next to the king. Sarah was a little unesy at what she was seeing. RJ was ready to freak out, believing the worst outcome of all: execution. Sarah, Ray and Theo grabbed him just before he could speed toward Amelia to get her away from the king. When he got the audience of everyone, especially the Sandovals and Alabaster, the king turned to Amelia and brought her to the center of the red carpet. Then he spoke to her.

"Do you know why I have requested your audience?" He asked into the microphone he was holding.

"I'm afraid not, your majesty." Amelia replied through the microphone.

"I'll tell you, then. I have heard a great deal about you, Amelia. You could not control your powers, you made the temperature across the globe drop, you beat up a super monkey, almost froze innocent people to death, AND..."

Amelia was ready to be sentenced to death right then and there, for she knew what she did. However, she wasn't expecting what happened next.

**_"YOU HAVE SAVED EVERY SINGLE MONKEY ON THE PLANET, ESPECIALLY IN THIS TOWN."_**

Then came the most unexpected thing of all: the queen came to her husband's side, and both the king and queen bowed. Amelia was shocked that King Ezekiel and Queen Melissa was bowing to her. Everyone else in the kingdom, especially her father, followed suit. Even Alabaster bowed down to Amelia. _Wow. This is unprecedented. I've never had someone bow to me before, let alone the king and queen no less_, she thought. As everyone finished the bow, the king rose again.

"Yes. Very well done, Ms. Amelia Rochester Sandoval." Said the queen.

"Now then...guards!"

One of the guards showed up with a sword for the king, who took it out of its sheath.

"Kneel, Ms. Sandoval." Commanded King Ezekiel.

Amelia kneeled without a second thought. Then came what the king really called Amelia for. He placed the end of his sword on one of her shoulders, then did the same to the other shoulder.

"From this day forward, let it be known that I, King Ezekiel Marigold-Sanders, do hereby dub thee, Amelia Rochester Sandoval, a knight of the monkey kingdom. I declare that you shall now be known as Madame Amelia, now and always, for your act of bravery, for your selflessness, for your loyalty to all of monkeykind. Arise, Madame Amelia Sandoval."

Amelia stood back up and looked toward the king, humbled that she was knighted. The crowd cheered, and the royal couple clapped alongside them.

"That's my girl! That's MY girl right there!" Jeremiah declared, crying joyfully.

Rosalyn was watching Amelia's knighting as well, agreeing wholeheartedly with her still alive husband.

"I'm so proud of you, my little snowflake. You just did your parents proud." She said, crying with her husband who couldn't see or hear her at the time.

After the applause died down, the king and queen approached Amelia again, and gave her something.

"Now that you are officially a knight of my kingdom, it is time I give you this." Said King Ezekiel.

The king revealed what he had been holding with his tail to Amelia. She was confused by what it was.

"What's this, your majesty?" She asked.

"This is a shard of everfrost. It is formed by chilling a salt crystal to subzero temperatures with ice magic. Ice monkeys that have trouble keeping their powers under control can absorb this to help them. You have ice powers beyond a normal ice monkey's potential, so we got you the largest one in existence. Now take it, and place it onto your chest. Then press upon it until your body absorbs its mass."

Amelia took the salt crystal and did as the king said. Then, when she absorbed it, her eyes started glowing, and her chest became completely encased in ice. She levitated into the air, and a hyper-cold aura emanated from her body. Then she expelled a powerful burst of cold, but it was only enough for everyone to feel the temperature shift. Finally, she felt a surge of power going through her body, and she saw images of what an ice monkey can do. She saw her dad's powerful embrittlement abilities, especially with MOAB-class bloons, her brother's potential icicle cannon, and even her own memorized absolute zero ability. Then she descended and caught herself standing up, trying to make sense of what she just learned.

"I see the shard has made quick work. Are you okay?"

"Better than okay, your majesty. In fact, I think picked up a new trick or so."

As she blinked, she focused her eyesight, and she started seeing in infrared. She saw everyone's heat signatures, even her own. She saw her father's heat signature as well, which was relatively minimal, but that was to be expected of an ice monkey.

"Yep. New."

As she looked around, she saw a green camo bloon that went completely undetected by everyone else. She gasped and shot an icicle into it, which caused it to lose its camo status, exposing it to everyone's line of sight. Everyone was caught off guard by Amelia's sudden icicle discharge. The king and queen merely looked at the downed bloon, confused as to how it went unspotted.

"That's...different. Perhaps we should start allowing radar scanners near the castle." Said the queen.

"Capital idea. Let's do just that. Also..."

King Ezekiel shot his magic at the bloon Amelia exposed until it was completely popped.

"Now, you were saying, Madame Amelia?"

"Oh, yeah. Definitely new and improved." Amelia said, astounded by what she could do now.

"Ah. I see. Ice monkeys cannot see camo bloons normally without assistance, yes?"

"Correct, your majesty. Although, I could've sworn that I couldn't form icicles before, either. Maybe it's a side-effect of the salt crystal I absorbed?"

"You say a side-effect. If you ask me, I'd say it's a feature, a fringe benefit, so to speak."

"Hmm..."

Amelia started thinking of how useful she could be on the battlefield now that she could see camo bloons just like the rest of her family now. She smiled at the notion that camo bloons could no longer slip past her undetected no matter what.

"Anyway, thank you, your majesties. I can only promise that I'll do my best."

"You doing your best is all I need from you, Amelia."

Amelia ended her bow and was met by the heroes of the kingdom. Gwendolin, Quincy, Benjamin, Captain Churchill, Striker Jones, Obyn Greenfoot, Ezili, and even Pat Fusty. All of them bowed to Amelia breifly.

"Nice job, chica. Nice job." Said Gwendolin.

"The terrible darkness within you has now been balanced by a glorious light." Ezili said with a smile.

"I knew you do it." Said Quincy.

"Kudos, 'Ice Empress'." Said Benjamin.

"Ice empress, eh? That's a nice nickname. Pretty fitting at this point, huh?"

"Exactly. I've been calling myself that since I was eight years old. And I think I finally lived up to it." Said a prideful Amelia.

"Congratulations, 'empress of ice'." Said the king jokingly.

"Thanks, your majesty."

Amelia suddenly had a question pop up into her head as everyone else chuckled a bit.

"So, about my training...when do I need to come back?"

"What training?" Gwendolin asked rhetorically.

"Wait. Does this mean...?"

The queen nodded as she spoke to Amelia.

"Starting today, you are no longer in need of training." She confirmed.

"As such, no more training for you, Amelia. You are now an official member of the army. In fact, you are now second in command of the cyrokinetic division, second only to the current commander. Of course, I'm certain you know of them already, but just in case you are not aware..."

The king moved just enough to reveal Jeremiah, who walked to Amelia, handing her a medal and a badge.

"Dad? You're the leader of ice monkeys?" Amelia said questioningly.

"That's right, sweetheart. Sorry I never told you or Jonah, but some things are classified. But now that my status isn't classfied anymore, courtesy of her majesty herself, I can confirm my title. Commander Jeremiah Euculid Lancaster-Sandoval, at your service. I hereby appoint you, Amelia Rochester Sandoval, my daughter, with the title of Lieutenant Commander of the cyrokinetic division of the army. If anyone has any problems with your status from here on out, they'll have to answer to either me, the general of the monkey army, or his majesty himself. And I don't think this declaration is coming with any opposition. So, take this medal as proof of your bravery and so our people know what you did for our town, and take this badge so the world will know what you fight for."

Amelia flat out hugged her father tightly, who returned it with tears welling up.

"Your mother would've been so proud to see you like this."

Mom is proud. I can feel it in my soul. She's here. She never left. And she's so proud of me right now. I love you, dad."

"I love you too, snowflake."

Amelia walked off the red carpet and to the crowd. Then, using her fully unlocked power, she let out a concussive blast of ice that propelled her upwards, and another blast that let her fly away. Watching this, everyone was amazed. Even the royal couple, Alabaster and Ezili were shocked that Amelia performed such an amazing feat. Ezili walked to Jeremiah and met his gaze.

"Once you embrace the truth, nothing can stand against it. She has embraced her darkness and light, and she is now stronger and more powerful than ever before." Said the voodoo monkey.

"Even the smallest spark can set fire to the world." Said Gwendolin.

"Yes. It's true. You don't raise a girl like that every day. I got lucky enough to be her father." Agreed Jeremiah.

"Her mother and I always said she'd be great. And I know at this point, she'd tell us both 'I told you so'."

The king pulled his microphone back out.

"You are all dismissed. Please return to your previously scheduled activities." He said with his voice booming outward.

All the monkeys gradually left the place, going back to their day to day lives. Jeremiah and Jonah left as well, going back home where Amelia was waiting for them. The other two ice monkeys made it back to see Amelia hovering above the ground.

"Well, well, someone's got the hang of her powers finally, eh?" Jeremiah asked, noticing Amelia's new ability.

"That's right. And I have you and the king to thank for it." Amelia said, planting her feet onto to the ground as she stopped floating.

Suddenly, Amelia looked away from Jonah and her father, but she quickly let her guard back down, seeing Sarah and RJ's heat signature.

"Okay, guys. You can come out now."

Sarah and RJ quickly ran to her, happy she wasn't going to be killed again.

"Amelia, oh, my Eternus! I'm so happy you're okay!" Said Sarah as she and RJ hugged her tearfully.

"We thought the king was gonna kill you!" RJ said, kissing Amelia on her cheek.

The ice monkey blushed a little at the super monkey's affection, but she wiped both cheeks after her druid friend did the same.

"Guys, I said no." Reminded Amelia.

"We don't care about that, okay? We were just worried."

"You know what? Honestly, I thought I was gonna be executed, too. Thought I'd never see my family again. So, forget it. Come here."

Amelia hugged Sarah and RJ, which caught them both by surprise.

"I never told you two before, but...you guys saved me from myself, and I love you for that."

Sarah and RJ blushed, learning Amelia cared about them. Then they returned the hug.

"We love you too, Amelia."

"Yeah. I mean, I don't love you guys in the way grown-ups do. I'm saying I love you like you're my brother and sister. You are a big part of my life, and I'm happy that you're here with me. So, I love you, bro. And I love you, sis."

Amelia sighed contently and let go of them.

"WHOO! THAT FELT GREAT TO GET OUT! Man! Alabaster was right! It feels so good to be honest with my feelings. Now I feel amazing!"

"Really? You're all better in the head now? No more self-deprication?" Jonah asked, checking on his sister.

"Yep. All better now. Because you guys gave my life purpose, and I think that's way more than enough. You literally gave me the best thing I could ever asked for, and I'm sorry I didn't show my appreciation sooner."

"Apology accepted, sis." Said a forgiving Sarah.

"Alright. Now that the mushy stuff is out of the way, we need to talk about RJ's father. It's time to take him down a peg."

"It's been past time to put the screws to my dad. It's happening. TONIGHT. END OF STORY." RJ said, remembering what was agreed upon.

"Agreed. TONIGHT! NO MORE STALLING. Time to cut that super monkey down to size." Declared Jeremiah.

"Thanks, dad."

Jonah jumped back a bit after he heard RJ thank Jeremiah like he was his father.

"Why'd you call me 'dad', RJ?"

"Because you're a way better dad than mine ever was. I can't help that."

Jeremiah cocked his head in agreement, trying to stay humble.

"I'm not the best dad out there. Pretty sure I'm one of the worst. But at least I know there are worse fathers out there."

"Oh, dad. There are FAR worse fathers out there. Yeah, you're not the best, but you work your tail off trying. Now, let's go inside." Confirmed Amelia.

"I'll cook." RJ volunteered.

They all went inside, spending their time in the abode of the Sandovals. All of them were at peace for a time, but they knew what had to happen next.


	12. Chapter 11

The Ice Empress: Chapter 11

Later that day, at 8:15pm, all of them went to RJ's father's house.

"So, this is it, huh? This is your place, RJ?" Asked Amelia.

"Unfortunately." Replied RJ.

"Don't worry. We got your back on this one."

"Yeah. Your dad's gonna make a great meal for Alabaster." Said Jonah.

"Alright. Let's go inside, Amelia."

"Sure." Amelia said as she and RJ walked in.

"Guys, my walkie-talkie's charged up, and so is yours. When I say 'frostbite', you come inside. It's gonna get dicey."

Amelia and RJ went inside together, closing the door behind them.

They went upstairs to his father's study, who was waiting for RJ to come home. RJ opened the door, and he and Amelia went inside.

"Dad, we need to talk." He said.

"Hmm? What's there to talk about? You finally decide to stop acting like a woman? Or maybe you now know how amazing I am?" Asked Ronald.

"You're not amazing, and I'm NOT a woman, dad!"

RJ got close to his father, just as scared as ever, but not backing down anymore. Amelia was watching from the door with a scowl on her face. _He's worse than I thought. Sun God, make your presence known in this, our time of need_, she prayed silently.

"I beg to differ. I am the greatest super monkey of all time! You're just lucky enough to have been born from my genes."

Ronald stopped reading and stood up, seeing his son be brave towards him.

"But, hey at least you finally grew some balls. Talking to your old man like that. That's cute. Really cute."

Ronald licked his lips, causing Amelia to cringe in disgust. _Wait. Is RJ's dad gay and into his own son?! That's sick_, she said to herself.

"Not as cute as the bullshit you've been giving me just because I'm not like you."

Ronald immediately took offense by that, and went to face RJ.

"And why wouldn't I do that? I'm your father, the person that, without my help, wouldn't have allowed your mother to give birth to you!

"Mom is a super monkey too, dad! Even without you, I still could've gotten the super monkey gene, and still got my powers!"

"Ah, but because I was involved, that possibility became a certainty! And that's why you owe your very life to me. That's why I'm trying to make you into a man, not some sissy bitch who talks about their feelings, and dates other men. Real men date women. Real men eat meat and talk about violence and sports! Real men know a woman's place and keeps her in it at all times, no matter the cost!"

**_"SHUT THE FUCK UP, DAD!"_**

RJ punched his father in the face, knocking him into the wall. RJ initially felt bad, but it felt good after two seconds, seeing his dad get his just desserts.

"Fuck, that felt good!"

Ronald was surprised, shocked actually, that RJ punched him. However, he shrugged it off, knowing it would happen eventually.

"Oh, I see. Finally having a run at your old man, huh? And I see you brought an audience. Nice work, son."

"Fuck you, dad!"

"Such language! And in front of a lady, who should be in the kitchen right now!"

Amelia was offended by this, and shot an icicle near him. Then she went inside, but RJ stopped her before she got much further.

"No, Amelia! Not now!"

"Wait. Amelia?!"

Ronald got RJ out of his way, but he got back in it, standing between Ronald and Amelia.

"You're the one my boy dumped! What's the matter? Couldn't get enough of him? Or maybe you wanna get with a REAL man?"

"Oh, he's a REAL man, alright. Just not a man like you!" Amelia barked.

"Oh. I see. This is what happens when you let these things learn anything that doesn't involve housework and children."

RJ violently grabbed Ronald by his super suit and threw him on the ground.

**_"AMELIA IS NOT AN OBJECT! SHE IS A MONKEY JUST LIKE US, AND YOU SHOULD TREAT HER WITH THE SAME RESPECT YOU HAVE FOR YOURSELF INSTEAD OF BEING SUCH A MISOGYNISTIC ASSHOLE!"_**

"SHE'S A WOMAN! SHE DOESN'T KNOW UP FROM DOWN!"

"Wow. I have seen and heard some pretty terrible shit in this world, but you sir, you are the absolute worst thing in this world it has ever been my displeasure to have seen in my life! And I curse you, and all who love you, to an early and well deserved grave!" Amelia shouted.

"Interesting. Did you teach her to talk?"

RJ had enough. He started punching his father numeorus times, and his father blocked the majority of them, only to slip up when Amelia shot an icicle through his hand. He clenched in pain, trying to pull the foreign cold object out, but he was met with a hard punch from Amelia. The force she put in was enough to make him demolish a part of the wall, accidentally connecting RJ's room with his study.

"Aghh! That hurt!" He winced in pain.

Then he realized it. Amelia shouldn't have been able to injure him if she was a normal ice monkey.

"Wait. That HURT. But that could only mean...oh no."

As he sat up, Amelia kicked him square in the jaw. Then the fight continued in RJ's room, who was right behind Amelia. Ronald started shooting plasma at Amelia, who created a large ball off ice to make the plasma miss. Then, she hurled it at the super monkey. She missed as well and got herself kicked into the wall. She quickly dodged another beam of plasma, but she was quickly caught by the neck. Ronald started choking her, intending to kill her, but RJ forced his father's arm to let go as he shot plasma in the back of his neck. He ended up burning the super suit.

"No! My amazing suit! You little bastard!"

Ronald flew to his son, who was ready for him, and they started brawling on the ground. After five minutes, RJ was beaten out by him, and his father threw him aside, going for Amelia. He got ready to punch Amelia in the face hard enough to kill her, but she caught the punch. He did the same with his other hand, and he got the same result. Then Amelia manifested a fist made of ice and punched him with it. She knocked a few of his teeth out. Then she punched both of his eyes and rubbed a small bit of dolomite in them, causing him to lose his plasma vision. Ronald's eyes were in serious pain as they turned red. He lost all his civility and pounced onto Amelia. They both screeched as they went all out. Amelia punched him, he punched her. He kicked her into the ceiling, and she used her ice powers to avoid his grip. He jumped up, yanked her out of the air, and threw her towards RJ. Then he revealed a secret switchblade he had in his suit. He threw it at her forehead, hoping for instant kill shot, but RJ caught it with a cut on his hand.

"I hate you, 'dad'." RJ said, spitting out a little blood.

"Famous last words, bitch." Ronald said before taking the switchblade back and holding it to Amelia's throat.

"So, any last words before I kill the both of you?"

"Just one: 'frostbite'!" Amelia said as she spoke into the walkie-talkie she had on her.

The instant she said it, a vine shot out out of floor, and it impaled Ronald's wrist. He dropped the blade that he was holding, and he screamed in pain. He tried to reach for it with his good hand, but Amelia kicked it away from him. Then he tried to run after it. Big mistake since he was suddenly immobilized by ice covering his feet and ankles. He toppled over face first. Then Ray, Jeremiah, Jonah, Sarah and Theo came inside, running to their aid. They made it upstairs, seeing the elder super monkey's true colors.

"So, it's true. You hurt my little snowflake." Jeremiah growled.

"No one hurts my sister and gets away with it, you bastard!" Sarah said, using a vine to steal away the switchblade.

Ronald broke off the ice that was keeping him busy, but Sarah pulled up more vines around his ankles and neck, forcing him to stop in his tracks. He struggled with the vines constricting around his neck.

**_"YOU FUCKING BITCH!! HOW DARE YOU! I'M A SUPER MONKEY, NOT A WOMAN! YOU CAN'T DO THIS TO ME! I'LL HAVE YOUR HEADS FOR THIS!"_**

"Amelia, he's even worse than I thought!"

"Oh it gets worse, mind you! That dolomite you put in my eyes is about to wear off, and when I get my plasma vision back, I'm gonna cook your brains inside out!"

"Ah, but don't you have those vines to take care of, sir?"

Sarah pointed to the reinforced vines around his ankles. Then she made more to take his arms and pin them down. Ronald had enough of everyone. He forced his neck free, and he kept trying to summon the plasma he needed to free himself. When it finally worked, he shot off the vines around his ankles, then he freed his arms, finally pulling out the vine on his neck and destroying it completely. Then he got to Amelia again, pushing everyone out of the way.

"Now that I'm finally free and have my plasma back, I think I'll start with you, woman."

Amelia crossed her arms and scoffed at the threat that stood before her.

"How stupid are you? Are you so dumb you can't see what's happening?" She mocked.

Ronald backhanded Amelia at that comment. She only laughed.

"Is that really all you got? Cause if that's all you got, I can't believe you're really so pathetic. Going after someone weaker than you just to 'prove a point'. I pity the women that met you."

"And I pity the woman that will clean up your remains after I'm done with your body."

"And just how are you going to do that, faggot?"

Ronald got offended. It was like she knew a side to him that he didn't want anyone to see. He was ready to silence her once and for all.

"By showing them what happens if they don't know their place!"

He got his hand all the way across Amelia's face, intending to crush her skull, but the second he squeezed, nothing happened.

"What? No!"

He tried to squeeze again, and he got the same result. It was as if he couldn't hurt Amelia anymore. He backed off of her and tried to charge into her, only to be met with something holding him back. He looked around to find that he couldn't move at all. He could only move his mouth and eyes at most.

"What? How?"

Amelia smiled ominously, confirming she knew something the elder, sexist super monkey didn't.

"Oh, powerful Sun God, reveal yourself!"

"You rang?" Said a voice from the shadows.

"Who's there?! Show yourself!"

"Well, if you insist!" Said another, booming voice from the windows.

The source of the voices came into the room, revealing themselves to be none other than Eternus and Nocturnus. Ronald became estatic, believing they came to punish Amelia for being female and attacking him. **_HE HAD NEVER BEEN MORE WRONG THAN THAT SPECIFIC MOMENT._**

"Sun God! Vengeful Monkey! Thank goodness you're both here! Kill this pathetic creature I'm forced to call a woman! Make sure she and every woman in the world knows their place: in the kitchen or doing laundry!"

Nocturnus and Eternus both started laughing heartily at his request, unable to believe he had the impudence, the audacity, the unmitigated gall, to command them to do something for him, especially since he was the one they condemned in the first place! Everyone else, especially Amelia, started snickering quietly, trying to hold back their laughter.

"Oh, wait. You're serious. Let me laugh a little harder." Nocturnus said, guffawing uncontrollably.

Eternus thought the notion was so funny, he started tearing up a bit because of who was saying it. He quickly wiped the tears away, regaining his divine composure.

"Wait. What's so funny? Aren't you both here to punish Amelia, a woman, for coming after me, a man?"

Nocturnus let out another, much shorter laugh.

"No." Answered both deities.

"Then who did you come for? Oh, wait. It's RJ, isn't it? You've come to turn him into a woman so I can call her my pet and make her cook my dinners and do laundry, right?"

"No."

"Then who are you here for?"

Nocturnus let out a creepy smile. It was copied by everyone else in the room. RJ and Amelia started chuckling a little.

"What's so funny, ladies?! You finally realize your place and laughing at yourselves for not seeing it until now?"

"So you really wanna know, huh? Okay, I'll tell you." Amelia said, meeting his gaze with an evil look.

"They didn't come for me. They came for you."

Ronald immediately got scared by what Amelia said. He couldn't believe they came for him.

"No. You're lying. YOU'RE LYING! **_THEY DIDN'T COME FOR ME! THEY CAN'T COME FOR ME! I'M THE GREATEST SUPER MONKEY IN EXISTENCE!_**"

"No, you're the WORST super monkey in existence!" Everyone in the room said.

"Explain yourselves!"

Eternus sent a surge of pain tnrough Ronald's body, who screamed madly at the sensation.

"You dare to defy me?! Try to control me?! Attempt to subjugate me?!" Eternus said, merging with Nocturnus.

Suddenly, Amelia's body starting glowing. Then when Eternus and Nocturnus finished merging completely, they entered Amelia's body, taking over for a short time.

"I, who gave you life, your powers, your child?! **_AFTER ALL I HAVE DONE FOR YOU, YOU HAVE THE NERVE TO SPEAK TO ME LIKE THAT?!_**" Both deities said through Amelia's body, who simply sat back and let them do as they pleased.

Nocturnus had Amelia's body impale Ronald's chest with a bloom of icicles, and the ice was barbed as well, causing even more pain.

**_"AND WHY?! BECAUSE OF YOUR FORMER WIFE, REGINA JOHNSON?! THE WOMAN WHO LEARNED THE TRUTH ABOUT YOU, AND CAST YOU ASIDE, FOR THE DESIRE TO HELP YOU DEFINE YOURSELF TRUTHFULLY?! YOU HAVE TURNED YOUR BACK ON THOSE WHO PRAISED YOU, WHO SUPPORTED YOU, WHO LOVED YOU UNCONDITIONALLY IN THE HOPES THAT YOU WOULD RECOGNIZE THEIR EFFORTS AND SHOW ACKNOWLEDGEMENT!"_**

Ronald had never been more scared than at this moment. Amelia was infused with Eternus and Nocturnus, who already merged beforehand, and now it looked like she was going to help both deities kill Ronald. He didn't want to die, not by the hands of the gender he spoke so badly about before.

**"THE FEAR IN YOUR EYES. THE PAIN COURSING THROUGH YOU. IT SAYS THAT YOU ARE ONLY NOW STARTING TO REGRET YOUR LIFE CHOICES. HOW PATHETIC. CAN'T YOU SEE THAT YOU ARE THE ONE WE CAME FOR? BECAUSE OF YOUR SEXIST BEHAVIOR? BECAUSE OF YOUR ABUSIVE HISTORY? BECAUSE OF YOUR NARCISSISTIC TENDENCIES? I INTEND-"**

"I CAN CHANGE, LORD! SECRETLY, I ALWAYS BELIEVED WOMEN TO BE SUPERIOR! BESIDES, I FIG-"

RJ kicked his father in the face, offended he would try to save his own hide by lying to his lord and savior.

"How dare you interrupt our Sun God, dad! How dare you!" He shouted at the top of his lungs.

Amelia and the merged gods saw RJ's damaged self, alongside his loyalty to the person he worships. They floated over to him and healed him.

"You have proven your worth, Randall. Now I shall reward you."

RJ's eyes glowed for a few seconds, and he felt something different.

"Behold! I grant you the gift of ultravision! Camouflaged bloons can no longer hide from you."

"Thank you, Sun God! Your kindness knows no bounds! I was not worthy to receive such a gift, but you bestowed it upon me nonetheless! For that, I'm grateful!"

RJ cried happily and bowed to the one who gave him his evolutionary upgrade.

"You are indeed worthy, Randall."

The gods and Amelia made their way back to Ronald and resumed what they were doing.

"Wait! That's not fair! RJ gets something good, and I get shafted?! Why?! I'm a super monkey!" Ronald asked, finally understanding he messed up.

**_"YOU HAVE DISGRACED YOUR OWN SON, YOU HAVE DISGRACED ALL MONKEY KIND, AND YOU HAVE DISGRACED THE VERY SUPER MONKEYS YOU ORIGINATE FROM! AND SO I DECLARE THAT FROM NOW ON, FOR THE REST OF ETERNITY, YOU ARE A SUPER MONKEY NO LONGER!!"_**

With Nocturnus and Eternus' aid, Amelia permanently stripped Ronald of his powers, which caused him an immense pain, but when it stopped, he felt beyond weak. The former super monkey was left on the ground with his immobilization no longer present, for it was no longer needed. He felt weak and out of breath.

"No. No! NOOOO! MY POWERS! THEY'RE GONE!"

Sarah kicked Ronald while he was on the ground, happy that he was finally put in his place.

"Serves you right, you sexist asshole." She said, flipping him off.

For the first time in his life, Ronald started crying. His whole perception of the world was crashing down around him, and he could no longer do anything to save it.

"I can't believe this. Railroaded by a woman! I've never been so emasculated."

Eternus and Nocturnus left Amelia's body, and she quickly came to as she was stood up.

"So, let's see you try to use that plasma vision on me now, you piece of shit." She said, feeling more conceited.

Ronald focused his eyesight on the ice monkey he hated so much, and he tried to use what he no longer had. Needless to say, he failed utterly.

"As expected. You're just like those dart monkeys that you keep oppressing."

Eternus and Nocturnus separated from each other, letting out a weak burst of light.

"Now you know how your son has felt for so long. The only difference: **_THIS IS PERMANENT. YOU WILL NEVER REGAIN YOUR POWERS._**" Nocturnus said, staring directly into Ronald's eyes.

"No. No! I can't be denied of my powers because of that stupid woman! Why?!" Ronald shouted, lamenting the loss of his status.

**_"I TOLD YOU, AMELIA'S NOT AN OBJECT YOU CAN OWN! SHE'S A MONKEY! SHE DESERVES RESPECT, JUST LIKE EVERYBODY ELSE, AND YOU JUST CAN'T GIVE IT TO HER BECAUSE MOM LEFT YOU!"_** RJ shouted, starting to cry.

"I knew it! I have no son! Only a fucking daughter that doesn't know her place!"

"I'm not a woman, I just hate how you treat me, AND I'M NOT GONNA TAKE IT ANYMORE!"

RJ's eyes started glowing, confirming how much he now hated his father. And he fervently hated him with a passion now, just like everyone in the room.

"I knew I should've tied you up in the basement and left you to do-"

"STOP BEING SEXIST!"

**"THEN YOU, THE ICE BITCH, AND THE HIPPIE NEED TO GET IN THE KITCHEN, AND MAKE ME DINNER!"**

**_"GO FUCK YOURSELF, RON! I HATE YOU!"_**

RJ had enough of him. He dragged his father that disowned him and started flying to Alabaster, only to be stopped by Nocturnus, who simply said he didn't need to.

"I got this. ALABASTER!" The dark god said before the wizard lord appeared suddenly.

"You rang?" Alabaster said, holding a knife and a fork with a bib that had a picture of Ronald on it.

"Dinner time! Go ahead and chow down!"

**_"PERFECT! THIS WILL BE THE BEST MEAL I'VE HAD IN CENTURIES!"_**

Alabaster laughed madly, relishing the fear Ronald had in his eyes. Then he summoned a cauldron from his spire, and heated it up.

"Amelia, ice, please!"

Amelia made it rain ice cubes into the cauldron, and the ice cubes melted quickly, turning into water. Then as the water boiled within 5 minutes, Ronald got desperate. He was ready to say anything to keep him from being eaten by the wizard lord.

"Okay, guys. You win. I've been a bad dad. RJ's not a woman, he's my son! Okay? And women are queens! All of them! Now, please don't eat me!" He begged.

"Now look who's got a moral compass! A mite late to develop a conscience, Ronald Densun-Johnson!"

C'mon, guys! RJ, you know I was just messing around, right? Just your old man joking with you, right?"

RJ said nothing; he just folded his arms and rolled his eyes.

"RJ, please! You can't let them do this to me! Please, son!"

"Oh, so NOW I'm a man in your eyes?! And when you're about to be cooked and eaten, no less?!" RJ spat out angrily.

Ronald accidentally let his act slip for a moment.

"So this is how it ends, huh? Fine. Let me die. Or better yet, shoot me with your plasma vision, and kill me yourself. Be a man."

"Hmph. Amelia was right. **I AM a man. I'M JUST NOT A MAN LIKE YOU. YOU'VE ALREADY MADE YOUR CHOICE, RON. I'M NOT THE SUPER MONKEY YOU WANT ME TO BE. I'M NOT YOUR SON. AND I DON'T NEED A DAD THAT TREATS ME LIKE SOMETHING I'M NOT. So you know what? _I'm just gonna let you get eaten. Because you're not even worth killing._**"

Ronald was horrified by how his son was acting. Clearly, the man that treated his son so harshly couldn't take a taste of his own medicine.

"Why? Why are you doing this to me?"

"Because you fucking broke my heart, Ron. You treated me so horribly, but I was lucky to have people like Amelia, her family, Sarah, Ray and Theo to forgive me and accept me for who and what I am. And so, as a man with no regrets for what happens next, I have to tell you something. I'm bisexual, Ron. Theodore is my boyfriend. Obviously, you'll never accept it, or your true self, so..."

RJ held his father's face close to his.

**_"BACIO DELLA MORTE, YOU FUCKING DICK."_**

RJ kissed his father intensely for about ten seconds, knowing his father secretly liked it. But RJ wasn't doing it for his enjoyment. He was doing it to officially sever his ties with his father.

"You always were the most handsome, son."

**_"YOU HAVE NO SON, AND I HAVE NO FATHER. I NEVER WANT TO SEE YOUR PATHETIC HIDE EVER AGAIN."_**

RJ stepped back, and let Alabaster throw Ronald into the scalding hot cauldron, and the former super monkey was boiled alive. He watched as his son flipped him off. Ronald tried to get himself out, but because he was in so much pain, he lacked the ability to do it. He gave up, and accepted his fate with tears in his eyes. Then Alabaster teleported the cauldron back to his spire, letting Ronald perish in solitude. He cried in lament, cursing himself for never admitting the truth about himself before he was condemned. After ten minutes inside the cauldron, Ronald died as he was cooked alive, serving as Alabaster's meal.

"Wow. That...was intense. I honestly thought you were gonna snap Ron's neck." Amelia said, taken aback by how RJ disowned his late father.

"Those last words...Amelia, he was gay, wasn't he?" RJ asked, keeping his back turned.

"So you DO know. Yeah. I saw him lick his lips around you. He was definitely into you, RJ. Pretty gross."

"Well, now he'll be into my stomach. I've got dinner waiting for me, so you guys sort yourselves out." Alabaster said, going back to check on his meal.

As the wizard lord left them, Eternus and Nocturnus turned to face all of them. Then something strange happened to Amelia. She felt a need to speak, but she didn't know why.

"Halcyon." She ebbed.

Both Eternus and Nocturnus were surprised.

"What did you say?" They both asked.

"When both of you combine and become your true self, your name is Halcyon. Isn't that right?"

Both deities covered their mouths, as if to hide some mild embarrassment, which they never felt until now, and ended up blushing.

"How did you know?"

"I didn't. It just felt... like the right answer to call you when you become one."

Amelia sat down, trying to find out why she had that feeling.

"Why did I think that was correct?"

Everyone started wondering the same as she did. Then, Ray came up with the perfect answer.

"You were brought back to life, right?" He asked.

"Yeah."

"Maybe having that happen caused you to accidentally gain an extremely limited psychic abilty."

Amelia started getting scared.

"Oh, no. I don't wanna be psychic. Then I'll never be surprised by anything."

"I said LIMITED for a reason. You'll still be able to be surprised. It doesn't work like most psychics do; it might only allow you the most basic psychic abilities, like hobbies and names, and that's it."

"Oh. Well, I guess it wouldn't be THAT awful."

"For you, no. But I have monkey sense, so I have the CAPABILITY to be psychic. You don't have it. You just have some sort of... heat signature ability, or something."

"Oh. Well, this is unprecedented. Then again, I normally never bring people back from the dead, so this was a first for me." Said Eternus.

"Either way, this is something I will keep in mind if I do so again."

Amelia let out a smile toward the Sun God, content with gaining a new power. Then she looked to RJ, who held himself crying silently. She, Theo and Sarah came to him, trying to console him. RJ placed himself on Theo's shoulder, with the ninja monkey rubbing his back and holding him close.

"I love you, RJ." He said.

"I love you, too." RJ replied, looking into Theo's eyes.

Theo returned the look, seeing RJ's true colors. They flew high and proudly as they gave each other a quick peck. Amelia came over to him. RJ felt a small awkwardness.

"So, sis, I know you already know him, but let's just do the whole official meeting thing. This is my boyfriend Theodore Fazudo. Theo, my sister, Amelia." Said the super monkey.

"Uh, nice to meet you officially. And...Fazudo? Okay. Pretty cool." Said Amelia.

"Yeah. You're alright yourself." Said Theo.

"Cool. So, I guess RJ needs some place to sleep tonight. You wanna sleep with my brother and I?"

"Uh, sure. I just... need to pack my things. The king might think I killed my dad."

"Not at all. We thought of everything. His majesty granted permission to you for his execution." Eternus said, holding up a notice for capital punishment.

"How'd you get that?"

"He was made aware of Ronald's misdeeds in the past. All he needed was proof to give you permission to kill him."

"I know. But I actually don't regret it that much. My dad was terrible, and he finally got his just desserts."

"Yes, he did."

While everyone else retired for the night, Alabaster was back at his spire, putting on the finishing touches on his cannibalistic meal. He already placed Ronald out on a large platter, dressing and seasoning him with herbs, spices, and other things that would go on a roasted pig. He licked his lips hungrily, and dug in. When he took the first bite, he squealed happily, falling in love with the taste.

**_"ABSOLUTE PERFECTION! TRULY THE MOST DESPICABLE MONKEY, AND HE TASTES PERFECT!"_** He loudly declared.

Ronald's soul escaped from his dead body, and Alabaster caught it before it could go far. Then the soul tried to wring itself from Alabaster's grip to no avail. Alabaster swallowed the spirit whole, ensuring there would be absolutely no trace of Ronald by the time he was finished. No rest, no peace, simply eternal damnation in the form of the very concept of him permanently erased from existence now and forever. And the worst part for him (which was miraculous for everyone else) was... there was no way to come back anymore.


	13. Epilogue

The Ice Empress: Epilogue

At about 11pm that night, Amelia took RJ into her room after giving him some hot chocolate and a blanket. Jonah gave him a box of tissues just in case. It was a good idea, for RJ was finally free to be honest with himself, and he let the tears flow like a river. He then smiled at Amelia and Jonah, grateful for their kindness in what was pretty much one of the worst days of his life. Amelia let him sleep in her bed, but RJ pulled her in it too, begging for a kind soul's presence. Amelia obliged and slept alongside him that night.

"I love you, sis." RJ sighed, holding Amelia tight as he closed his eyes.

"I love you too, brother. I love you, too." Amelia replied, clasping RJ's hands as they both fell asleep.

The next morning, RJ, Amelia, and Sarah went off to his mother's house with him leading the way. He scoped the town from a bird's-eye viewpoint. Then he spotted it.

"There she is. Let's go down." He said, making his descent.

As they made their way down, RJ and Amelia got a little nervous. What if RJ's mom is a feminist? She might not even want RJ. And then he'll basically be an orphan. He just can't catch a break. Watching his father get killed after he tried to kill his own son, that's messed up, Amelia thought to herself. Sarah noticed Amelia's nervous expression and called her out on it.

"You're scared for RJ, aren't you?" The druid said, sharing her worry.

Amelia made an ashamed expression before looking away and nodding silently.

"So am I."

They got to the front door, and RJ knocked on it. The door immediately opened after the seventh knock.

"Hello? Who is...it." Said the female super monkey.

To her surprise and happiness, she saw it was her own son, Randall Sedna Johnson, and he came to see her. He looked at her with a whimpered feeling, and she became chastened by it.

"Oh. I guess we need to talk."

"Mom...dad's dead. Alabaster got him." Said RJ.

"I knew it was only a matter of time. Come inside, sweetie. I missed you so much."

RJ, Amelia, and Sarah walked right inside Regina's home. Well, it was more like a mansion, but it was smaller. As everyone but RJ looked around, they were all amazed by how it looked. They even noticed a collage Regina had on the wall dedicated to her deeds and RJ's life growing up. She even had newspaper clippings of RJ helping out with the effort on the bloonswar. Needless to say, she was proud of RJ. They all took a seat in the kitchen. Regina gave them some hot tea. Amelia politely refused her cup however, letting the female super monkey have it instead. Regina shrugged and drank it like someone would an ordinary glass of water.

"RJ, do you know why I left your father?" She asked with a heavy heart.

"He was incredibly sexist and narcissistic?" RJ guessed.

"No. Your father was insecure about his identity, sexually and otherwise. The sexism, however, simply a side-effect of HIS father's upbringing until he turned 69."

**_"WAIT! WHAT?! DAD WAS HOW OLD?!"_**

"He was 69 years old before that message was ingrained within his mind."

"Dad never looked a day over 38!"

"Super monkeys often age much slower than normal monkeys. Sometimes their aging stops completely for up to five decades. Ice monkeys age slower, too. However, they only age slightly faster than a super monkey. Mentally speaking, they're often more mature than all the other monkeys, with the exception of wizard monkeys. I don't know how long they can age, but they NORMALLY NEVER outlive a super monkey. Anyway, it's time you knew. Your father was gay, sweetie. He was so far in the closet, he was just too scared to come out."

"So what, you left him because he was too delusional to accept himself for what he was? I would've been fine if he was gay, but he was also a narcissist, mom. Always comparing me to himself, and acting like he can do no wrong. It wa too much, mom. It was just too much."

"I know, hun. Your father's narcissism was the last straw. He became completely unbearable after that. And I'm sorry you were forced to live with him for the last 7 years."

"No, mom. I'M sorry I couldn't choose to be with you sooner. I just... wish I didn't hate him so much, but I do, mom. I hate him with every fiber of my being. Please don't be mad."

"Aw. Randall, I'm not mad. I'm just happy I get to see you again. And you even brought friends alongside you. What are your names?"

"Name's Sarah." Said the druid as she stuck her hand out to shake.

"I'm Amelia. Amelia Sandoval." Said Amelia.

Regina jumped up in excitement, seeing that she was talking with a knight of the monkey kingdom.

"You're the one who got knighted by King Ezekiel! Madame Amelia, may I have your autograph, please?" She asked.

Regina brought out a small autograph book, and she turned to an empty page. She also gave Amelia a pen, and the ice monkey signed. Her signature was surely treasured as Regina put the book away.

"So, mom. I... I need to get this out. I'm bisexual, mom. And right now, I have a boyfriend. He's amazing, mom. He's a ninja monkey, and he's the best, and I love him."

"Oh. That's wonderful. But as long as we're revealing our orientations, it's time I showed you something."

Regina pulled out her phone, and she RJ multiple pictures of his mother with another woman. It was an ordinary monkey, but they seemed to be very close to each other.

"Mom?"

"That's right. I'm gay, sweetie. I'm gay, just like your father is. We've always been a part of the LGBT community, and now you get to be a part, too. And one part of that is knowing the truth. Your mom likes women, and her son likes both."

Regina started tearing up with pride.

"And she's never been more proud of her boy."

Regina and RJ shared a tear filled hug with each other, happy that they were safe and together again.

"I love you, mom."

"I love you, too. What do you say? Wanna meet my girlfriend? She's upstairs."

"Depends. Do you wanna meet my boyfriend, mom?"

"**_OF COURSE, I WANNA MEET HIM!_** He's your boyfriend! Why wouldn't I want to?"

RJ wiped his tears, excited that he would see his mother's significant other.

"Then come on, mom! I wanna see her!"

RJ and Regina flew upstairs to meet Glenn Recton, her girlfriend. An alchemist at heart, she was working on a formula to make MOABs more unstable and weaker as a result.

"Glenn! Take off your goggles, babe! I have someone I want you to see!" Said Regina.

Glenn heard her quite clearly, and she took the goggles off, only to see two super monkeys, one of them her girlfriend and the other she never saw before.

"Razor, who is this?" Asked Glenn.

"This is my son. Don't call me that in front of him."

Glenn immediately hopped away from her work, glad to see RJ. She ran to him, amazed it was actually him.

"You're the super monkey that was on the battlefield with Amelia. You know, that ice monkey that got knighted. Isn't that right?"

"Yeah. That's me. I'm pretty sure mom already told you, but my name is Randall Sedna Johnson. Everybody calls me RJ, though."

"Well, it's very nice to finally meet you, RJ. I'm Glenn Recton. Your mother calls me 'spice', though. We met on a battlefield where your mother's sight was being blocked, and she couldn't move out of the way because she was tangled up in vines. I chopped her free after some purple bloons came after her. Ended up using all my potions to destroy those bloons, but it was worth it to meet a woman like her. We've been into each other ever since. Sometimes, I make other things with my equipment. But that's another story."

RJ blushed and hugged both his mother and her girlfriend.

"Best moms ever."

"You warmed up to me that fast? Thank you...son."

Glenn returned RJ's hug, happy to be a part of his life.

"I'm back, mom."

"You're home." Regina said, returning RJ's hug.

"So, mom, gotta say goodbye to my sisters. They gotta go home, too."

RJ flew downstairs, and he hovered as he bid farewell to Amelia and Sarah. Glenn and Regina saw and heard him as he let them go. When he turned around, he saw the both of them.

"They're very good friends of yours, aren't they? You treat them with respect, young man. Okay?"

"Gladly. They're more than friends, mom. They're family. They're the best sisters I ever had, and I love them."

Regina nodded in approval, and Glenn held out a flask and drank a harmless fluid out of it. RJ got a confused look on his face, and Glenn noticed.

"Don't worry. It's just cranberry juice." Said the alchemist.

RJ quickly dropped the subject, and went upstairs. Things finally got better for everyone. This ordeal was quite for Amelia and everyone else, and the bloonswar still occurred, but now they had their minds ready for action.

Two years later, Amelia and company were still somewhat the same, with the exception of being older, wiser, and more powerful. Her father was in the training room for the Cyrokinetic division of the army. Only this time, Amelia was leading the meeting.

"So, it has come to my attention that ice monkeys do not have the ability to detect camo bloons." She said, pointing at a screen that showed the ice monkey's weaknesses.

"Well, for my father, my brother and I, that is somewhat untrue. My father CAN see camo bloons, but only if they are up close to him, for he is nearsighted. My brother is the exact opposite: farsighted. Both of them suffer from an occular handicap of sorts. However, I seem to be able to detect such anomalies when it comes to bloons without such hanidcaps. In fact, my father and I have an ability that is unique to us, and it is referred to as a heat signature."

Suddenly, a knock on the door was heard.

"Come in."

The door opened, and it was RJ, Theo, Sarah, Jonah and Ray on the other side.

"Guys, what are you doing here? Isn't today your day off?"

"His majesty needs us on the battlefield. Heard it might get bad. Need to know if you can help, sis." Said RJ.

Everyone in the room gasped in fear.

"Another invasion, huh? Tell his majesty I'm coming to help."

"On your own?! That's crazy! We're all coming too, snowflake!" Jeremiah said, standing up.

"In that case, MEETING ADJOURNED ON THE GROUNDS OF AN AMBUSH! **_NOW, LET'S GO, PEOPLE! WE GOT BLOONS TO POP!_**"

Everyone let out a battle cry, and got to the field as fast as they could. Every monkey that could fight did. They all got ready for another fight. The bloons believed they would still win the day, but because the monkeys had the most powerful ice monkey in existence, they had never been more wrong. Amelia proved as much as she made a huge cyrokinetic blaster that could impale even a MOAB-class bloon and sped off to fight the good fight once more. Surely, those bloons never stood a chance in the past. And now they never will. The Ice Empress made sure of that.


End file.
